Mr Nice Guy
by TheLon3Wolf8986
Summary: When Ron gets rejected by Kim he feels empty inside, but a certain invitation to stay at a certain school all summer will change all that. And as the new Ron shows up, what will happen to everything they ever know...
1. The Alternative

**A/N: Hey first time writing a Kim Possible Fanfiction, but I absolutely love the show and I always wondered... What if Kim had rejected Ron during Junior Prom. So I wrote it. Now in this story Eric is a real person who was replaced with a Synthodrone and is the soul reason for Kim rejecting Ron... at least for now. Who knows where this story will end.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible or any of the characters... although I do wish for more episodes or maybe a live action series... as long as it is done right. Maybe even another movie who knows.**

**Oh and please Review  
**

**Mr. Nice Guy**

**Chapter 1: The alternative**

The explosion rocked the building as the antenna began to destroy itself with the electrical charge flowing through it. Drakken could only watch in horror as his plan to rule the world, his plan that had taken months of careful planning and research was easily foiled by his teenage arch-nemesis, Kim Possible.

"Okay, maybe she is all that…" he could only mutter as he began to panic and start to run away. His escape attempt was cut short when he was tripped and landed on the floor.

Kim Possible's buffoon of a sidekick stood over him, towering with anger.

"Taking over the world is one thing, but you ruined Bueno Nacho… and you're going to pay." The blonde teenager went on. Drakken could only give him a look of surprise as he responded, "You can't be serious?"

Ron leaned in close and pointed to his face, "Note serious face."

"Please eh… your name escapes me." Drakken pleaded.

"Say my name, SAY IT!"

"It's… uh… Stoppable!"

Ron managed a small satisfied smile as he crossed his arms and said, "Boo yah."

As the police finally finished apprehending Drakken and his men, Ron could hear Drakken complain.

"It's over dude."He managed to say as he slammed the door and watch as they van began to drive away.

"You know Ron…" he heard. He turned to see his best friend, the most badical girl that he knew. Kim, in all her wonderful self, looked at him with an endearing look. "I was thinking about what you said… you know… about- Eric?"

"Eric?"Ron replied as he followed her look behind him and saw the police escorting the young man to the teen heroes. "Oh, Eric… the real Eric, right." He muttered as he felt a bit of sadness on what that meant. He gave a weak smile to Kim as he turned to her. "Go on Kim, do what you gotta do."

Kim gave him a sad look, but slowly turned into a smile as she hugged him. "You're the best Ron, you know that." She managed to say as she let him go and ran towards Eric. Ron could only nod as he saw her run towards the other guy. He had hoped she had chosen him, but instead her choice was Eric. Ron's shoulders lowered a bit as he could only look at the couple sharing an emotional moment.

Rufus made his way to his shoulder, watching the same scene unfold and, noticed Ron's look of sadness and loss. The naked mole rat could only pat his friends shoulder as they looked on. Ron looked at his naked friend and gave him a sad smile as they began to walk away, "They say actions are louder than words… I definitely got the message this time Rufus."

The blonde got on his scooter, turning back for the last time, as a tear rolled down his face. "I hope you're happy Kim, I really do… but it still hurts to see…" He let the sentence hang as he placed his helmet on, and started the scooter. He drove, drove as far away as possible, trying to will the images away. He had bared his heart and soul to the one person he thought would never reject him… only to find that the love and affection he had for her would not, could not be reciprocated.

"I should of known better than to think that some one like Kim would ever look at me in that light… I knew I didn't have a chance..." he muttered to himself as a fresh wave of emotion came over him as he neared his house. "Why did I let myself hope for something more?"

Rufus could hear his friends muttering and took a deep breath as he tried to think of a way to help him in his time of need, but the little naked mole rat couldn't think of anything. He could only watch as his best friend suffered this immense pain on his own.

Ron was tough, letting most of the bullying, taunting, and insults roll off of him as if they were nothing. Nothing seemed to phase him to the point of making him cry, at least nothing used to, until now. "At least Kim is happy. I mean I know I'm hurting now, but Kim… Kim deserves this." Ron muttered as he tried to convince himself that he should be happy, trying to see the silver lining in this dark cloud that was falling over him. "She does so much, and ask for so little in return that… it's nice to see her getting something she wants every once in a while… even if it pains me."

Rufus squeaked and jumped on Ron's shoulder as he tried to get him to go back and fight for Kim, but Ron simply shook his head and gave his little friend a sad smile, "No Rufus… this is Kim's night to be happy, not mine. It wouldn't be fair to her… even if it isn't fair to me."

* * *

The crowd cheered as Kim made her appearance back at the prom with Eric. She was ecstatic as she danced and enjoyed the rest of the evening with him, kissing him as the slow dance ended. She was happy, content in the world and no take over the world plot could ever disturb this. But a certain confession did.

She felt a bit of guilt as she slow danced with Eric. Ron's confession had been a bit of a shock so she hadn't really answered it, but when she thought that Eric was really a syntho-drone, she had considered Ron for a moment. Now, that the real Eric was with her, she was a bit confused, a small amount of doubt in her mind if things would have ever worked out with Ron.

She mentally shook her had as she danced. She could never be able to date Ron, it would ruin the friendship they had. A friendship that she cherished very much, but she didn't want it to turn into more… did she?

"Kim, you okay?" she heard someone call as she pulled away from her thoughts. Eric gave her a smile as he waited for her response. She returned the smile, "Sorry, just enjoying the moment."

"Good because I was wondering if you were enjoying yourself."

"Of course, I'm at the junior prom with one amazing guy, and the world is safe once more. What isn't there to enjoy?" Kim answered as she smiled at Eric, but as she smiled she made her decision. She would explain to Ron why it wouldn't work out between both of them, and hopefully make him realize that they would always be friends.

* * *

Ron breathed slowly as he lay on the bed and looked at the ceiling with sadness in heart. He patted Rufus who was lying on his chest. "Thanks buddy, I appreciate the love."

_Love…_ he thought to himself, _why did I think Kim could ever love a loser like me. She's a smart, funny, and beautiful girl… she deserves someone like Eric, not a slob and idiot like me. Last night opened my eyes. I just wished it didn't hurt so much._

Knock-Knock

"Ron?"

Ron stood up surprised to find Kim walking through his door. "Kim! What are you doing here? I thought you would have been spending your time with Eric right now."

"Oh, I will." She responded as she looked a bit bashful, "But I was hoping to talk about… last night."

"Oh… last night… yeah… I just said that to get you back in the game." Ron managed to say with a straight face looking at Kim.

"Back in the game… Ron don't-"

"I'm serious K.P. you were starting to doubt yourself, so I tried to get your mind off things." Ron responded.

Kim gave him a questioning look, finally taking a deep breath as she sat next to him. "Ron… I still feel we should talk about this. You know, in case you really want to… you know."

"What, come one. We're best buds, life long friends."

"Best friends Ron." Kim told him as she held his hand. "The best of friends, but I'm not sure if we will ever be more… and I don't think we should." Kim replied as she gave him a knowing look.

"What do you mean K.P.?" Ron asked as his heart began to race. "Why shouldn't we?"

"Because if we do… we might lose our friendship, and I don't want to lose that. Our friendship is one of the most important things to me, and I wouldn't know what to do it I lost that. I don't want to lose you." She honestly believed that, and Ron could clearly see that, so he did the only thing he could do… he acted like an idiot.

"The only way you could ever lose me is if I try to stop Drakken on my own, end up launching all the escape pods, only to use the trash pod, and land at the north pole with no way to contact you… oh wait you still found me when that happened." He smirked at his response which brought a smile to Kim's face. "Kim, we will always be Best Friends, No matter what. Don't worry about it."

"So, are you really okay with all of this?" Kim asked a look of concern on her face.

Ron gave her a huge smile and nodded, hearing the telltale sounds of Eric's bike, "I'm positive Kim. Now go, before your boyfriend starts a neighborhood search party to find you."

Kim smiled as she leaned over and hugged him, "You rock Ron, I hope you know that."

"It's what I do." He answered as he watched her get up and head out. He stood up and walked to his window, watching as she got on Eric's bike and rode away. Pressing his hand on his chest, he looked down as he recalled her words to him.

_I knew it! She doesn't look at me the way I look at her._ He felt tears well up in his eyes as he turned to Rufus. "We'll always be best friends…" _But only best friends… nothing but friends…_ Ron closed his eyes, trying to will the tears away as he felt one roll down his face. "What more could a guy like me want?"


	2. A Cause for Action

**A/N: Hi again, thank you all for the many views to my first chapter as well as the reviews. I give this chapter as a way to keep the story interesting for now. The next chapter should hopefully be up by Saturday. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well as you did the first. Finally I would like to personally thank Shockwave88, Sentinel103, and eckles for reviewing the last chapter. Thanks guys!!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible or any characters from the show as they are property of Disney and company.**

**Chapter 2: A Cause for Action**

Ron groaned as he turned the corner and walked the beaten path that he would always take to his own home, grim look on his face as he recalled the week.

Ron had tried to keep his upbeat demeanor, but found it faltering as the end of the school year crept along. Kim and Eric were in full couple mode now that the summer had started and Ron found himself, in more than one occasion, being the third wheel on some of their dates. At first he tried to stay away from them and allow Kim her space, as well as give himself some time to get over his heartache, but she insisted on spending time together. Seeing Kim wasn't the bad part… it was watching her leave with Eric whenever he came by to pick her up that hurt him.

Every time that Eric took Kim away brought up a new wave of emotions that were driving Ron mad, especially since he seemed to always appear to cut their time together short.

A prime example occurred this evening, Bueno Nacho was celebrating its grand reopening, and Kim promised Ron that they would go together and celebrate. This brought a smile to his face as he realized that she was still trying to be his friend and support him in his activities. The day had started out being on of the best he could remember. As they waited in line Eric had made an appearance, sporting tickets to a concert that was starting within the hour, and had begged her to come with him.

Kim was torn between Ron and Eric, he could see that she wanted to go but she also wanted to be with Ron. He knew trouble was brewing so he played his part and told her to go. Kim had hesitated but was soon convinced at Eric's urging. She hugged him and waved goodbye as they left, leaving him alone, and eventually in too sour a mood to enjoy Bueno Nacho.

He decided instead to leave and head back to his home, and so with a heavy heart he made his way through Middleton, and finally to his house.

"Ronnie? What are you doing back so early?" Mrs. Stoppable asked in surprise. She wasn't expecting her son to be back so soon from his favorite food place.

"Oh, hey mom… just didn't feel like staying there, that's all." He answered back.

"Okay… where's Kim?"

"She left early, so I took off early too."

"Oh, so that's why you came back so soon." She stated with a knowing smile. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Mom… it's okay. Don't worry about it."

"Ronald it's perfect…" She started but was interrupted by her son.

"MOM, I don't want to talk about it!" Ron yelled pausing when he realized what had happened and lowered his voice. He gave her a sad smile and looked away. "Please, mom… I don't feel like talking about this right now."

"Okay Ronald." She responded in a worried voice when she noticed her son's demeanor, "I have to go now, but just know that I'm here to talk, if you need to."

Ron nodded as he made his way up the stairs and into his room. He sat on his bed, steadying his breathing as he tried to remain calm. He looked up to find the pictures of Kim and himself throughout the years. Instead of feeling nostalgia he felt anger as he stood up, grabbing one of the frames, and threw it against the wall.

"Friends, right… always friends." He muttered as he grabbed the rest of the pictures in frames and threw them against the wall, shattering them. Grabbing everything that reminded him of Kim and throwing it as he cursed her for being his friend, cursed his family for moving here to Middleton, cursed himself for feeling love for her, and finally cursing the heavens for making him feel the way he did.

Finally as he kneeled in the middle of the room among all of the destruction he sobbed as he realized what he had done.

"Why do I fee like this… why can't I stop loving her?" he sobbed as he leaned against the bed. "Snap out of it, she's with someone better." He slowly noticed something in the air. At first he started to back away thinking it was some form of specter when it finally took a shape he was familiar with, it was…

"Sensei! What are you doing here? What's wrong?" He asked as he wiped away his tears. "Do you need something?"

The old man nodded as he looked Ron over, "Indeed I do, Stoppable-san. I need to speak to you."

"What can I help you with?"

"You may help me by allowing me to help you. Your tie with the Mystical Monkey Power allowed me to know of your problem."

"Problems… Sensei… I don't have any problems." Ron replied trying to hide his discomfort. "Why would you think I have problems?"

"Oh… are you saying you are the one person in the world without problems, Stoppable-san?" The old man gave him a knowing smile, "Everyone has problems, it is only by sharing these problems that we survive such burdens."

"I just don't think that you can help me with these 'burdens' Sensei…" Ron managed to say as he brought his knees up to his chest. "You'll probably think it's stupid."

"I will not think your problem is, as you say, stupid… If such a problem brings such turmoil and sorrow to you heart, it can never be stupid."

"Not even if I say that fell in love with my best friend, but she rejected me for another guy?" Ron asked with an incredulous look on his face. "You don't consider it to be silly?"

The old man shook his head as he spoke, "Matters of the heart are never stupid or silly. You are in real pain, even if you do not hurt physically."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I just… I just wish there was a way to stop feeling like I do…" Ron looked up at Sensei with a pain look on his face. "The more I see Kim with Eric, the more I feel like hating her."

"Hate is never the answer or solution to any difficulty. It neither heals nor mends." The sagely man answered as he looked at Ron, "Only time can heal wounds and mend the damage to one's soul."

"Well, I can't really 'heal' seeing Kim and Eric everyday. Every time I see them it opens up old wounds."

Sensei paused for a second then spoke again a small smile on his face, "Young Stoppable-san would you like to visit Yamanouchi once more?"

Ron questioning look flashed for a second before he answered, "You want me to return to Yamanouchi? Why?"

"I wish to help you in your time of need, especially since such problem will hinder your development in fully attuning you to the Mystical Monkey Power, and as your teacher and mentor… I wish to see you happy once more." The old man responded truthfully. Ron smiled at the statement, took a deep breath and stood, bowing to the old man.

"It will be my honor to visit and train once more under your guidance sensei."

"Then I will make the necessary arrangements to have you brought here at Yamanouchi. Please take care, Ron Stoppable." Sensei stated as his astral projection faded.

Ron turned to Rufus with a smile, "I guess we're returning to Yamanouchi Rufus."

The following week was used to explain how he had managed to get invited back to Yamanouchi School. His parents, although proud that he was receiving such an invitation, were puzzled as the reason why Ron had failed to mention such an honor.

Ron explained that the 'Diablo' incident had him at a loss and that he had merely forgotten about it until they had received such an invitation. His parents understood and were ecstatic at his selection once more.

Kim on the other hand, knew of the nature of the Yamanouchi School, and was wary of the reason for his leave. She was still trying to argue about it as Ron stood waiting to leave at the airport.

"Ron, are you sure this has nothing to do with us? I mean, you're not leaving because of what I said, are you?"

"K.P…. calm down. Sensei wants me to go so that I can learn more about my Mystical Monkey Powers, this has nothing to do with us. Besides I figure since the first trip was cool… that a second and much longer trip would be great for the Ron-man, you know?" Ron answered truthfully. Kim gave him a dubious look before speaking again.

"And you're sure this has nothing to do with Eric… or me?"

"Kim, trust me. This has nothing to do with you or your relationship with Eric." Ron gave a sincere look as he spoke. "This is about me K.P."

"I suppose… but what if I need you on a mission? Will they let you come help me?"

"Kim, I seriously doubt that you would need my help to take down some of the villains out there. If anything, you'll probably do better without me."

"Ron, I could never replace you."Kim was sincere and tried to convey this to Ron.

Ron smiled, "I know, I know… but you can do it on your own. Besides, after Drakken's 'Diablo incident' and that battle suit of yours, I doubt you'll have trouble."

Kim relaxed a bit, "I guess you're right. Still, you are coming back… right?"

"I should be back for senior year. You don't think I would miss that, do you?" Ron answered with a smile, "Besides, if something happens, I can always call you, or beep you… if I want to reach you, right?"

Kim laughed a bit over the comment. She then reached over and embraced him in a loving hug that she reserved for only him and sighed. "You're right Ron Stoppable, so make sure to –"

"KIM!"

Kim and Ron both pulled away as they heard Eric's voice over the crowd.

"Kim! You ready to go?" Eric asked as he got to Kim and Ron. Ron tried to keep his smile as he fought the wave of anger from the interruption. "Oh… hey Ron, Congrats on getting invited back to Japan."

Ron gave a nervous laugh as he answered, "Yeah, it was a surprise to say the least. Anyways, you guys must have plans, so I better go."

"Ron!" Kim tried to stop him but was held back by Eric as Ron began to speak again.

"Don't worry about it K.P., I'll miss my flight if I don't go right now anyways. You guys… um… enjoy your date or whatever, bye." Ron managed to say as he walked away before he let his anger show.

Kim turned to Eric with a small glare, "Why did you do that Eric? You knew I was saying goodbye to Ron."

"Kim, it's not a big deal. He'll be back. Besides didn't you say that he usually calls you all the time anyways? He'll probably call you back in a few minutes when he's on the plane."

"I was still saying goodbye to him, and the fact is it was rude on your part to come out and cut it short like you did." She replied, a bit sharp with her words.

"Okay, I'm sorry Kim. I was going to surprise you after you talked to Ron to try and cheer you up, but…" Eric then pulled two concert tickets, "I better show them now. I was going to use them to try and keep your mind off Ron leaving and they would only work if we took off now for the concert, because it starts in ten minutes."

Kim paused for a second, still tweaked about his interruption, but happy that he was trying to cheer her up. "Okay, you're forgiven, for now." She calmly stated as she moved closer to him, "But don't make it a habit."

Ron had left the couple on their own, trying to avoid seeing them and keep his anger in check, as he made his way towards the plane. Rufus managed to climb on Ron's shoulder and pat him a bit.

"I know little buddy, but I still feel terrible. I went from feeling pretty good to feeling lousy pretty quick." Ron muttered as he flashed his boarding pass and made his way into the plane to find his seat.

"I wonder if I'll ever get over Kim." He asked Rufus. "Or if I'll ever find a girl to love me the way I love her."

Rufus simply gave him a weak look as he only managed a squeak that sounded like, "I don't know." Ron smiled and rubbed him on the head. "It's okay little buddy, just wondering out loud, that's all."

As he sat down and looked out the window, he pondered upon his question, and laughed a bit. The notion that someone out there could actually think of him as more than a friend was borderline delusional, and with a heavy heart he went ahead and watched as the plane began its journey across the Pacific.

"That plane ride totally tanked! Sixteen hours, three connections, one of which we almost missed, and lousy food and service." Ron exclaimed as he tried to stretch his back after the long trip. "Ah man, I still feel like a sardine with those seats!"

A slight giggle quickly caught his attention as he turned to find a Japanese girl covering her face.

"Oh Stoppable-san… you and your making of American style jokes."

"Yori! You have no idea how glad I am to see you. How you've been?" Ron asked as he blushed a bit. She simply bowed and stepped towards him.

"I am well, thank you for asking." Yori replied as she proceeded to guide Ron towards the baggage claim. "Sensei has asked me to once again to guide you to our school. I hope that you will enjoy it just as much as your previous stay."

"Yeah, I'm hoping for that as well Yori. I'm hoping to use this time to clear my mind and help me move on with some things." Ron replied with a small smile.

"I have heard of your… trouble from Sensei, Stoppable-san. I hope I may be able to help you in your time of need." She replied as she grabbed Ron's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Ron saw this and looked at Yori, noticing a hopeful smile as she looked at him. Ron didn't get why she would…

"OH! Um… thank you Yori, I don't know what to say…" Ron began to stutter as he pulled away a bit. "I mean… whoa look at the time."

Yori gave him a knowing smile as she nodded, "You are right Stoppable-san, we must, how do you say, make haste to get to the school."

"Right… let's go." Ron replied weakly as he rushed forward with his bags towards the exit, Yori walking right besides him.

The trip was short as they rode the bus and spoke mostly about what they had experienced since Ron's last visit. As the bus approached the road that began the walk towards the Yamanouchi School, Ron began to feel the grandness of it all.

He had of course come by once before, but he didn't appreciate the majesty of it all the first time. He looked up to the sky as he tried to envision the school in all of its glory. Watching as the clouds surrounded the peak and the sky's blue filled his senses.

"It's beautiful," Ron managed to whisper as he began to walk. '_Here, this place can finally help me achieve the inner peace that I crave… the inner peace to move on._' Ron was optimistic for the first time since the time in the warehouse where he had confessed to Kim about his feelings. First time since Kim had found Eric.

So it was no surprise that he was in an upbeat mood when they reached the school, long climb or not. As they arrived, they both bowed as they met Sensei near the entrance waiting for them.

"Stoppable-san, I am please to see you well. I hope you honor us with your presence for the remainder of the summer season." Sensei stated as he gave a slight bow.

"The honor will be mine, honorable Sensei." Ron replied as he rose from his bow. He slowly gave a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck, "So what now… I mean do I just head to my room, get a snackage, or maybe a shower first?"

"I believe we will begin with your training first, Stoppable-san."

"Training, great so where do I-I… wait training? Why do we start with training?" Ron asked as he panicked with the situation.

"In order to achieve a clear mind and soul, one must be willing to change one's self physically and spiritually." The old man answered as he amused himself with Ron's expression, "In other words we must train in order cleanse ourselves from any doubts, fears, and problems we may face."

"I would have never thought you would do this to me Sensei, I feel betrayed." Ron replied with a bit of fake indignation in his voice.

"A sensei must sometimes do what is necessary for one's pupil to grow, even if he must fool him to do so, Stoppable-san." Sensei replied with a bit of a chuckle before turning to the young girl, "Yori, you may begin his training."

Ron gave Yori a betrayed look as he slumped a bit, "Ah, come on… not you too Yori."

Yori giggled a bit as she slid into her stance, "I am sorry Stoppable-san, but as I said to you earlier, I hoped to help you in your time of need."

Ron raised his eyebrow a bit as he slid into his stance and waited for the incoming agony.


	3. The Path to Change

**A/N: Hey guys this is the third chapter on this series. I'm glad for receiving all the support and I actually enjoy hearing from all of you. Thanks again to Shockwave88, eckles, Sentinel103, and CajunBear73. Thanks to the rest that reviewed the last chapter, I actually read and reply to all reviews(if possible) and enjoy talking about the Kim Possible story/universe. Keep the reviews coming!!! Now this chapter is set around the first week of training for Ron. I thought about just skipping it but I feel people should read about what would eventually help him change to the person I have in mind. Hope you guys enjoy and good reading.  
**

**Disclaimer:I do not own any characters from Kim Possible as they are owned by Disney.  
**

**Chapter 3: The Path to Change**

He matched his steps with those of his Sensei and followed as they walked outside the school gates. The training at Yamanouchi was surprising and yet expected to say the least. Ron expected the four o'clock wake up calls, the constant conditioning training, the various weapons and hand to hand combat training. What he did not expect was the individual spiritual and physical test he had to endure.

Today was such a test…

"Before one is able to change one's self, he must come to understand what makes himself. Understand that which motivates us," Sensei turned to face him as they came to a stop, "And that which hinders us, so that we may shed what is unnecessary and let ourselves grow into something beautiful. Just as a flower cannot grow in a garden of weeds, neither can a person change when he is full of fear and doubt."

"Okay… So what does that mean?" Ron asked with an actual look of confusion that was barely noticeable in the dark. "I get the whole trying to change, but a flower? What's with the flower?"

"Stoppable-san, you cannot change if you fear and doubt yourself and others. You must trust yourself and others if you truly want to change."

Ron repeated the words over and over again in his mind as he slowly grasped what the wise man was trying to say. "I don't fear myself sensei, I just fear… um well it's not really fear, I mean they are bad men."

Sensei lifted his hand, as if to ask Ron to stop and he complied, "You fear others because you fear that you are not capable yourself. You're heart is full of doubt creating panic and fear of others… but we can help you change that."

Ron noticed that as the sun rose and revealed the day that they were standing next to the ravine. Instead of having a bridge to crossover it had a series of standing logs, about a leg's stride apart and varied in different heights, and a handful of Yamanouchi students were waiting among them.

"You can… help…" Ron started to sputter while giving a nervous laugh and then turned into a scared look as he slowly backed away. "Thanks for the offer Sensei but I-I don't think I'm ready for this."

"So your words were hollow then?" Ron stopped and looked at Sensei, the old man's face was passive but his tone said differently. "Did you not ask to improve yourself, to truly change?"

"I did… but isn't this taking it too far too early?"

Sensei nodded as he understood and simply lowered his head and turned. "To change for another, will allow you to change for the moment… but to change for yourself; that is true and everlasting change. If you feel that you cannot, or will not, change for yourself… so be it, I will not stop you from leaving."

Ron could hear the disappointment in the old man's words and lowered his gaze, pondering about his true motivation to come to Yamanouchi. Did he come here to truly change himself? To learn more about his ability and perhaps learn about himself? Or did he come here just to run away from Kim, and all the emotions of inadequacy and sadness that he felt when he was around her and Eric?

"Perhaps you were right… maybe it was too soon for you Ron Stoppable." Sensei then started to walk away before he was stopped by Ron.

"I wan to change for me… what do I have to do?"

Sensei gave him a knowing smile and a nod as he directed his attention back to the ravine and the students. "You must fight and last as long as you possibly can, then and only then will you begin to move along the path to self improvement."

"How would this help me?"

"By allowing you to realize that you must not fear, you must not panic, but focus on the task and hand. By realizing these truths you will come to understand yourself and the potential you posses."

"Okay… so I guess… I'll just go now, right?" Ron gave him a smile but his mind was all jumbled from Sensei's speech. _I guess I better get this started…_

Ron walked towards the edge and placed a foot on the log, following with another and another until he found himself in the middle of the pathway. The students surrounded him and waited for the call to begin. "Well this isn't so bad…"

Ron's words suddenly died as he saw the students bring out bo staffs and slowly started to approach as they surrounded him. He looked down as he tried to measure the length of the fall but could not see the bottom and gave a slight shudder.

"Stoppable-san, you must remember to stay calm and determined. Do not allow the situation to dictate you, you must dictate the situation." Ron gave him a bewildered look but quickly turned back when Sensei ordered the test to begin.

Ron dodged the first strike by moving to the side and fought for his balance for a split second before stepping back and ducking the next two swings. He crossed armed blocked the next attack, the force pushing him back, and fought hard to regain his balance.

Ron avoided the next downward swing and tried to run, stopping as he tried to keep his balance, and blocked the next attack aimed for head. The pain reverberated through his arm as he pulled it back and shook it while yelling a big, "OW!"

The next swing caught him in the ribs and followed with a blow to the thigh. Ron managed to block only the second blow before turning and falling. He managed to avoid falling to his death by grabbing a pole and holding on for dear life.

The nearest student thrust his staff and Ron rolled left to avoid it. Coming back he grabbed it and used it to pull himself upright once more. He fought to gain control of the staff but a blow to the kidney's prevented him from gaining the weapon. The pain shot through his spine and felt himself jerk from it.

He pushed off on of the students to regain his footing and stood ready.

Ron was liking this test less and less as it went on.

* * *

Kim frowned as she looked at her Kimmunicator and sighed.

"What's wrong GF?" The redhead quickly flashed a smile to her friend and shook her head.

"Nothing Mon, it's just… I haven't heard anything from Ron for a week now and it has me a bit worried."

Monique gave her a questioning look before she took a sip of her drink. They were spending their first get together of the summer at the mall while they waited for Monique's shift at Club Banana to start.

"You weren't worried the last time he went to Japan."

"That was a bit different. He was only gone for that one week so it wasn't a big, but he's going to be gone for the whole summer. The only other time he was away for that long was when we were twelve and he went to Camp Wannaweep."

"You told me you didn't really miss him that summer."

Kim smiled a bit as she reminisced, "Well that's because he was calling me like almost every five minutes, but now…"

"He hasn't even called you once." Monique could see the look of discomfort on Kim's face. "I understand how you feel but you have to realize that he's a grown man… okay a grown kid, but he knows how to take care of himself."

"I know, but I still can't help worrying about him."

"Are you worried about him, or about what might happen between him and that Yori girl?"

Kim gave her a surprise look and proceeded to give Monique a slight glare, "What!? No, why would I be worried about that?"

"Because last time you were jelling like there was no tomorrow."

"That was pre-boyfriend Kim, now I'm more comfortable with Ron, uh… you know seeing Yori." Kim gave her a weak smile but Monique wasn't convinced.

"I would have believed you, but your face is telling me there's more to this story than you're telling me."

Kim mentally winced and shifted her eyes away, "Of course not, why would there be more to it?"

"Kim, you're a terrible liar, you know that? Now spill, what aren't you saying?" Monique smiled as Kim agreed.

"Ron… sorta… confessed his feelings for me during the whole "Take over the world" plot of Drakken's." Kim wasn't surprised by the look Monique gave her, with her eyes the size of saucers and mouth open agape, "Although he did tell me that he just said it to get "my head into the game" so to speak."

"Okay GF, back up… start from the beginning."

Kim then went on to explain the events of the night and the following day, sparing little to no details, and waited for Monique's response as she finished. "So?"

"I wouldn't believe it if you didn't tell me yourself. So you think this trip to Japan was an excuse to get away from you and Eric?"

"Maybe, he has a tendency to blow things out of proportion. You know how he is Mon… he can't deal with change very well."

"That boy does tend to take things to the extreme."

"I'm just worried that he will do something he will regret over this whole sitch."

Monique nodded. She knew that Ron could sometimes overreact over the changes he did not really approve of, but the last remaining weeks in school had shown him under control, or as much control as the blonde usually held. He didn't show any paranoia or rambling about things changing, something didn't sit right with her.

"Did he say anything about you dating Eric?"

Kim lowered her gaze as she thought for a second and looked up with a weak look, "No, but Ron has a habit of not saying things that bother him sometimes."

"I don't know Kim, last time he wasn't happy with you and Josh, remember? He kept calling him "Monkey" but he was still okay with you too getting together. If he wasn't okay with Eric he would have said something."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Well I have to go to my shift, but I do hope Ron calls you soon so that you guys can clear the air about this whole mess."

"Yeah…" Kim muttered but her mind was somewhere else. What was really going on between her and Ron?

* * *

"Are you well Stoppable-san?"

Ron flinched a bit as Yori helped him removed the top part of his gi and start to apply a balm. "I'm sorry Sensei… I failed the exercise and I disappointed you." Ron had a sad look that was only marred with the occasional flinching.

"You have not disappointed young one. This test is not meant to be won, it is aimed to reinforce your mental barriers of focus and determination. You have proved that you have both, fighting for the amount of time that you did."

Ron had a look of disbelief and as the words sank in it slowly grew into a smile, "I guess all that time with Kim made me tougher than I thought."

"I do believe so, Stoppable-san. How else could you rescue me from Monkey Fist and defeat Fukushima?" Yori added with a smile. "You give yourself too little credit."

"Far too little, but you shall learn that you can succeed in anything as long ass you have an unshakeable focus and an unbending determination."

"I'll try to live up to your expectations Sensei." Ron bowed his head and was surprised at the determined look he received.

"Do not try young Stoppable, do." Sensei then smiled as he turned to leave, "Your training is to resume after you rest and are fed."

Yori giggled as Ron winced and groaned at the mention of more training.

Ron had spent the rest of the day training nearly non-stop. From the sparing, to performing his katas, to weapons training, the continued work had his body aching from head to toe. The only time he had to rest was during meditation and even that left him mentally exhausted. Now as the training for the day ended, he forced his aching body to the get ready for bed.

"Owe, owe… owe… Why does it all hurt?" Ron groaned within the shower as the warm water streamed down his aching body.

Ron leaned down slowly to place his head under the flowing water; the aching pain in his arms prevented him from raising them over his head, and hoped that a simple rinse would do. He began to relax as he pressed his head against the coolness of the wall. The exhaustion muddled his mind and clouded his thoughts as he tried to focus on taking a shower before he fell asleep.

So it was no surprise that he stumbled out of the shower and used the wall to help him get to his room. Groaning a bit as he took every step, he was surprised to find Yori waiting for him near his door.

"Yori? What are you doing here?" Ron asked weary and tired from the day's work.

Yori bowed as she saw him and gave him a gentle smile as she reached over to help him. "You are feeling much pain Stoppable-san, allow me to help."

"Thanks… I didn't think I would be hurting this bad." Ron managed to mutter as they entered his room and he sat on his futon.

"Yes, I am sorry for that, Stoppable-san, but it was for your own good. Sensei has high hopes for you."

"No, I understand…" Ron managed to say before he let out a huge yawn. "He wouldn't have me train so much if he didn't."

"There is much to come before your journey is complete."

Ron smiled, "I know… I feel like I grasped something today." Ron clenched his fist and held it there, "I don't know what but it's made me realize… it makes me want… I don't know how to describe it. But I think I understand what Sensei was trying to tell me."

"I am glad to see you understand."Yori replied as she smiled at Ron, then her smile faltered a bit before she continued, "How are you feeling, Stoppable-san?"

Ron was lying down, enjoying the feeling of not moving when he answered back, "Tired… and in pain but overall glad today is over."

Yori approached him and kneeled down next to him as she watched Ron begin to fall asleep. "Then I hope you rest well, Stoppable-san."

They were the last words he heard as he drifted off to sleep.


	4. Facing Yourself

**A/N: Hey Everyone, sorry for the late update, let's just say RL has been a bit hectic lately. I've been preparing to move to another town for a job (Thank you I know), and it's had me twisted up for the last few weeks. What does that mean for future updates? Well I still plan to continue this story, it was just that this chapter was meant to be a lot longer, had to cut it short(not to mention that I didn't have anyone to beta for me) so I'm sorry if there is grammatical or story errors, polease let me know. Will I change this chapter later, maybe. i'll probably just change a few minor things, but I'll let everyone know if I do. As for updates, this new job will dominate my time for the most part, so don't expect an update every week. Probably will update once or twice a month. What does that also mean, well it means longer chapters. This isn't as long as I had hoped for various reasons, but They will get longer as I post more chapters. Well thanks for everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one.**

**P.S. This chapter is part one of two so just roll with it for now.**

**Disclaimer:I do not own Kim Possible or characters from Kim Possible, although The new additions are plainly my own.**

**Facing Yourself**

The eyes of an old man watched as his pupil continued to perform his katas. Watched as he delivered a strike and moved to defend. Pondered upon the significance to his hesitation one moment, then watch as he attacked with reckless abandoned the next.

"Your mind is too chaotic, Stoppable-san." The old man commented as he stepped forward to stop the young blonde. "You must clear your mind and release any doubts or fits of anger from it. Allow your body to move freely yet with a purpose. Do it again."

Ron nodded and went back to starting position as he started on his katas once again. The old man stepped back once more and watched as his student started again.

"Sensei, I do believe Stoppable-san has made considerable progress."

Master Sensei nodded as he turned to one of his top students, Yori. "I do believe you are right, but his mind is still hindered by bouts of self doubt. We may need to rectify this before he could proceed further upon his path."

"What do you suggest Sensei?" Yori asked her curiosity peaked.

"We may need to send Young Stoppable to him." Sensei's face was passive, controlled as he looked upon Yori. Her discomforted look told him she did not agree.

"Speak child, voice your objections so that I may relieve you from your doubts."

"I'm sorry for questioning you Sensei but… I do believe that it would be too much for him. Other students must have years of training before they are capable of facing him. I do not wish to crush his newly budding spirit with a harsh training such as that one."

Sensei was a nodding as she spoke but his face quickly turned firm, "Stoppable is not like other students, Yori. He greatly exceeds expectations only when forced to confront harsh situations. His previous test proved that. By coddling him now it will only serve to hinder him. We must strike now while his motivation to change is at its peak just as a sword smith strikes when the steel is hot."

"As you say, Sensei…"

"Do not worry Yori; I have confidence that he will surprise us all."

* * *

Ron entered his room as he always did, tired yet content as he recalled the events of the day. A full day of sparring, weapons training, and spiritual training drained a lot out of him, but he enjoyed the feeling that he had accomplished something on his own, not having to depend on anyone.

Not having to depend on anyone… Ron lay down on his futon and tried to calm his body and relax from the day's harsh training, and as he relaxed he could see Rufus holding up his cell phone. The little naked mole rat was pointing and gesturing for him to call.

The actions of his little friend served to remind him of the only person he depended on most of the time, Kim. He had decided to not call her, not until he knew a part of him had changed for the better. He still felt that he needed more time.

"Rufus, I don't think its okay to call her right now. She should be busy, enjoying her time with Eric. I'm not going to ruin that for her."

Ron gave smile as he saw him cross his arms in anger. "Ah, come on little buddy… don't be like that. It's what's best for both of us."

-Knock Knock-

"Stoppable-san, may I enter?"

Ron quickly jumped to his feet and moved towards the door, sliding it to reveal Master Sensei, "Sensei, of course you are welcome to enter."

"I have come to speak to you about your next trial." The old man gracefully but purposely walked in as he maintained his sight on Ron. "I feel it is time for you to face one of the other masters that will help you on your journey to self-discovery."

"There's another master in this school?" Ron asked a bit incredulous at the notion.

"Of course Stoppable-san, he is actually my kohai, and is quite capable of instructing."

"How come I've never seen him around the school?" Ron asked as he thought of a couple of reasons, "Ooh, is he some kind of leader of a secret squad of ninjas that are sent to do the impossible missions that only they can handle? Or better yet, his job is to select a few ninjas train them and send them around the world saving the world from everyday destruction from the hands of evil demonic monsters."

Sensei gave Ron a puzzled look before smiling and shaking his head slightly, "Nothing of that sort Stoppable-san, he just handles the advance students. They must traverse a treacherous path in order to reach him and begin their trial."

"Oh… well that does make sense not like what I was thinking, but why see him all of a sudden? I'm not an advance student so why should I meet him?" Ron clearly felt he wasn't ready but could see the approving gaze of the wise old man.

"It is true that many believe that you are not ready to endure such hardship, but it is my belief that you will continue to grow and better yourself with constant trials. You will prove that you are ready for what may lie ahead, prepared to do what is necessary not only for you but for the world."

Ron felt a surge of confidence as he heard this but it was quickly replaced with skepticism. "What do you know that you're not telling me? You keep saying things like "destiny" and "lie ahead", but you never really explain what it means."

Sensei bowed, "I am sorry Stoppable-san, but only time will reveal such things. It is only my belief that you should prepare for the coming future. Just as a farmer prepares for the coming winter, you should prepare for your future battles."

"Yeah… I guess you're right, still I know you're not telling me everything," Sensei slightly nodded, "But I guess you won't or can't for my own good, right?"

"As always Stoppable, you are most perceptive… which brings me back to the topic at hand." Sensei stepped up to the young blonde and reached up to place his hand on his shoulder. "The trial will be hard and it will force you into retrospect. Do not let fear dictate your responses."

Ron looked down and nodded as Sensei turned and walked towards the door, "Tomorrow, Stoppable-san, you will take your hardest class, but learn a most valuable lesson. Goodnight."

Ron took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he tried to calm himself for the coming challenges.

* * *

The air felt sweet and the sun felt dry, but he knew that the day's trip meant more than just time out in the sun. He stepped forward to his companion, who stood like a stone statue waiting for him, and saw him point towards a cavern's entrance.

"This is where we must part, Stoppable-san. I hope you do well and prove your doubters wrong." The young Japanese man said as he bowed.

"Thanks Yoshimaru, I'm still wondering why Yori couldn't drop me off."

Yoshimaru gave him a small smile, "I believe she will be here to pick you up, so you can ask her then."

Ron nodded as he made his way forward, leaping and climbing to the entrance. Ron walked into the cavern and as he drew closer he could see the light begin to grow dim and the walls of the cave grow darker. Ron wasn't worried as he saw a small light in the middle and part of him knew to head to that direction. As he drew closer he could see that a hooded man stood there, in a meditative stance.

"So you have chosen to enter…" his voice called. The sounds bounced off the enclosed walls, reverberating everywhere making it seem like they were coming from everywhere and nowhere.

"I have."

"Good… when I was told about the Chosen One's visit, I grew curious…" The man's curiosity could clearly be heard as he stood, robe covering him from head to toe, old tattered and worse for wear. "Fate had you following a different path, yet… you are here before me."

Ron stood still for a minute before he answered.

"What do you mean? What different path?"

The old man snorted at the question, "A path that is no longer available to you… but fret not, this new path will lead you further than you have ever realized." Ron stood there a bit shocked by the comment as the man brushed the waters surface of a stone bowl. "This path will be harder, and you will feel great joy… and sorrow."

"Okay, I'm going to take a guess here and say this is all mystical mumbo jumbo that you're speaking of."

"This "Mystical mumbo jumbo" as you say will test your fortitude, reveal your darkest fears and your greatest dreams… I am not quite sure you are ready for such a trial."

"What do you want me to say?" Ron was tweaked but he tried to reel his anger in.

"Tell me, what really brings you here to Yamanouchi," Ron tried to repeat his prior response when the old man continued. "Do not try to fool me… tell me the real reason you left your home."

Ron stood there watching as the man stood motionless and yet seemed to have a hold to his heart. "You want to know why I came here… I came here…" Ron paused for a brief second as he decided to let out his true reason, "Because I needed to get out of there. I came because wherever I went, wherever I'm seen they call me a loser and an outcast. Every time I tried to fit in they would cast me aside like a leper." Ron was tired of holding back his anger, his sadness and his true emotions behind a mask of indifference. "I'm tired of being the person I am. I want to change…"

The old man stood still as the blonde seemed to finally stop the flow of emotions. He turned to the candle and stood there as he spoke, "Did you want to change for you… or someone else?"

Ron remained quite as he thought about what the man said. "I want to change for me. At first it was for someone else… to be recognized by this person who I held so dear and so high for so long… but after my time here at Yamanouchi I realized that true change, everlasting change can only come if you want it for yourself." Ron walked around the candle to face the man. "This is for me."

The hooded man nodded and motioned for him to sit, "People say that seeing is believing, but one's vision can not always be trusted. Perception and understanding is real truth. One who does not see with his eyes may sometimes see further and deeper with his heart." The man held out his hand over the flames and waved it over it slowly. "Truth is a matter of perspective… you must see beyond the lies your eyes tell you and perceive the truth your heart knows."

"And how do you do that?" The old began to light some incense from a small cup and allowed the smoke to fill the air.

"By focusing to perceive the truth, you must push away all that your other senses tell you. Ignore the lies of your five senses… allow yourself to trust your instincts. For that is the way… our way, the way of the Monkey Master."

"Okay… I'll try to do that." Ron could tell that this would not be a simple test as he watched the old man's actions.

"You shall not try, you will do. You will accomplish this during battle, here inside this cave."

"So I have to fight, "We" have to fight, by the looks of things," Ron replied with a weak smile as he knew it would not be that easy. As the hooded man removed his robe Ron could see, with the little amount of light from the candle, that his opponent had milky white eyes. His face was barren and stiff, his hair short and near balding. "I can't fight you, you're blind. It wouldn't be fair."

"Do not worry young one," The man smiled as he reached over to the candle, "We will both be covered in darkness." The candle's light died and darkness quickly consumed both.

Ron quickly shifted from looking for his opponent to hearing for him as he was thought early in his training. The sounds of feet lightly touching the floor was marred by the echoes of said feet bouncing off the walls. The moment he thought the old man was moving to his left, he received a blow from his right. When he thought the old man was coming from his front he received an attack from behind.

Ron wasn't sure if the old man was moving faster or if his sense of direction was on the fritz. He braced himself again as he felt another blow strike him across the chest. He felt something solid pressing against him on the side and used his hands to feel what it was.

_A wall! Yes! _Ron thought to himself as he pressed his back against it and brought up his guard to protect himself, giving him a the few precious seconds he needed to think of a plan. That's when he felt a tug on his gi and felt something go under his center of gravity and throw him to the floor.

"Owe this tanks! I'm just getting my butt handed to me." Ron groaned when struggled to his feet.

"What did you expect, Sidekick, Kimmie isn't here to save you now!" A very familiar voice called out as a blow struck him in the chest. Ron felt the blow reverb through his body as he brought himself to his knees and tried to catch his breath.

A faint green glow quickly began to illuminate the room and he couldn't believe his eyes as he saw who it was…

"No… you can't be here… What are you doing here at Yamanouchi!?" His cry was mixed with shock and anger as she gave him a predatory smile.

"Oh, so that's what this place is called… I don't really care, all I was told was to get rid of you." Shego lunged and swiped as Ron rolled to his right and on to his feet. The following blows barely scraped him as she grabbed him and delivered a well timed knee to the stomach and tossed him to the ground. Ron ignored the pain and rolled forward to avoid the finishing blow and got into a crouching position as Shego laughed.

"That's all you're good for, just to run away. Can't even face your own battles without Kim here, why she keeps you as a sidekick I don't know… oh wait, she dumped you as a sidekick didn't she?" Shego slowly stepped towards Ron, "Now it's that Eric guy. Did you see how she jumped at the chance to save him… well, can't say that I blame her he's a lot better looking than you."

Ron could see that her barbed comments were meant to anger him, to make him emotional, even if most of them were true in Ron's mind. But, the time he had spent at Yamanouchi had thought him that a calm mind would always prevail, that to allow your opponent to control your emotions let him control your fate in the battle. So instead of feeling anger or hate, or even self loathing as Shego thought he would react Ron stood on his feet and got into his stance and signaled for her to attack.

Shego was a bit surprised but she attacked anyways swiping at his head and following with a kick to his midsection. Ron avoided the strike towards his head and blocked the kick returning one of his own and catching the older woman by surprise. They traded a few blows, Ron dodging mostly but returning blows when he saw an opening, and Shego getting frustrated at the proficiency of the blonde's ability.

Shego was getting frustrated to the point were she was getting sloppy, something that didn't happen unless she faced a certain redhead, and began to fire a barrage of plasma blasts at Ron. The sidekick for his part was moving around using the light glow of the plasma blast to guide him through the cave and avoid the obstacles and the blast themselves and using her own blasts to destroy a large stalactite over her and causing it to land on the villain.

Ron stepped forward and watched as the green glow slowly disappeared as she groaned from the blow and darkness enveloped the cave once more. "Guess that was it…"

"It has only just begun…" a disembodied voice called out.

Ron didn't understand until fire suddenly blazed and encircled him lighting the area with its orange glow. The walls of the cave reflecting the light while the shadows danced with the flickering of light; and presented an enormous group of Monkey Fist's Ninja Monkeys.

"Monkeys, it had to be monkeys!" He screamed as they began their attack on their opponent and began to use their large number to overwhelm the lone warrior. Ron fought, striking quick and with accuracy as he aimed for vital points and avoided fatal blows, managing to hold his own against his feared and hated enemy. His arms bruising, his skin marred by scratches and scrapes, he fought them delivering swift blows with little remorse.

He struck swiftly into one's sternum feeling the sickly sensation of ribs caving in, and followed it with an elbow to another's head and ignored the resounding crack from the blow as he leapt back to avoid another monkey's counterattack.

He was forced back further when he received a blow to the side, the force pushing him into the flames. He hissed as his skin quickly turned red and inflamed, but he pushed on as he returned with a blow of his own delivering a roundhouse kick to his attackers head. The battle continued for what seemed like ages for the young blonde and as it finally reached an end, his body weak and wary, he stood at the ready waiting for the monkey's master to appear.

"Where's Monkey Fist! He's here, he has to be here!" Ron screamed trying to keep his senses at the ready for the incoming attack.

"Monkey Fist… that old relic? He's long gone now… it's only me now…" The voice sounded familiar to Ron and yet he couldn't believe his eyes, "Ah boo YA HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

"Okay now this is getting weird…"

"Magical mumbo jumbo weird, isn't it?" Zorpox replied, "Yet here I am speaking to you, my dimwitted other half. I must say how you managed to survive this long is beyond my mental faculties."

"Well… I know you are but what am I?" Ron replied, clearly not knowing how to respond.

"Such a childish response, but I expected no more from you. I'm clearly the stronger and smarter of the two, why is it that you remain top dog."

Both blondes began to pace around each other, the flames still raging around them, trapping them and forcing them to face each other as tigers trapped in a cage. Zorpox was the first to make the move as he dashed forward with a forward fist strike and followed with an elbow to Ron's sternum. The blow stunned Ron, as he was pushed a step back, and felt a slicing blow over his right eye.

Blood began to pour from his wound forcing him to close his eye or risk blindness and for a brief moment he lost sight of Zorpox. Ron turned left and then turned right but found nothing until he felt the blow from below. Ron could feel his neck snap back and his jaw ache as he was thrown backwards and slammed against the wall.

He fell to his knees as he felt his legs wobbly, as if walking on a wobbly board, the walls and floor spun and every little movement send pain down his spine.

"One good blow was all it took. No fancy moves, no sparkling powers, no doomsday devices… just a simple right hook to the jaw. That's how feeble and useless you are." Zorpox stepped forward and over his good counterpart. He grabbed him by the collar and picked him up, feet off the floor, and slammed him on the wall. "Pathetic, how I ever came from you I have no idea… but at least now it's all mine."

"You're a part of me… how?" Ron managed to groan through forced breaths.

"How… you mean you never realized? The mechanical genius, the improved martial arts they didn't come from Dr. Drakken. Are you kidding me! No, that was all grade A me!"

"And… you are… me."

Zorpox gave him a puzzled look as he tried to follow Ron's thought process, "Yes, so?"

"So you can do only what I can do…"

"I just do it better." Ron placed his hand on Zorpox face, "You're thinking of hitting me from his range? It won't hurt."

"That's what you… think!" Ron growled as he slammed his palm on his elbow to double the force of the blow sending Zorpox flying back. Ron coughed as he tried to clear his airway and finally managed to take a deep breath as he stood. "If you're from me that means I can do what you can do, I just have to try harder."

Zorpox rubbed his head as he stood and got in his stance at the same time as Ron, "Maybe, but will you be able to?"

Ron's eyes hardened as he relaxed his shoulders and tensed his fist. "Let's find out."


	5. Facing Yourself Part 2 & The Arrival

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, as you know I recently moved and getting things together has been a drag to say the least. The great News is that I should Post more often now that everything seems to have settled. Now as an apology for this chapter being kind of late I have made it a bit longer. There is a problem though as I have cut the training chapters a bit and will instead show more of the training through flashbacks. If you don't know what that means, you will in time. Still here is this chapter, please let me know what you think (I don't think this was my best chapter) but I felt it was time to post to let people know that I havent grown tired of this story just been pressed for time.

Chapter 5: Facing Yourself Part 2 & The Arrival

The two fighters paced each other, getting ready to face each other in combat once again. The usual retorts and comebacks would have to wait as they both rushed each other and began to trade blows. The intricate dance of attack and counter attack was as graceful and beautiful as it was deadly. The constant change between offense and defense was smooth as they both fought nonstop.

A sudden pause between the two lone fighters brought a small reprieve that allowed a bit of conversation. "So where's the sidekick?"

Shego smiled as she dabbled into one of her hobbies, making snide remarks about little miss prissy. "Finally decided to drop Mr. Airhead now that you have that fancy suit of yours?"

Kim smiled as she knew what Shego was trying to do, "Did you finally decide to drop the blue loser and work for Killigan?"

"Hey, as long as it keeps me out of jail, I don't care who I work for."Shego replied as she lunged forward and swiped at Kim's head only to receive a counter blow to the stomach. Kim followed the attack with a high kick that sent Shego flying back.

"As long as I'm here, you'll always go to jail." Kim turned and used her enhanced strength to jump to the next floor where Killigan was trying to access some files in the database.

"I would just surrender now Killigan," Kim offered as Killigan turned and drew two nine-irons out.

"Aye lassie, but you know me… I don't go without a fight!" Killigan screamed as he swung at Kim only to have her catch both golf clubs and snap them in half. Killigan's eyes grew wide as he looked at what happened. "Maybe, I should reconsider."

"Yeah, maybe…" Kim replied with a raised eyebrow.

* * *

As Kim made sure that the police had Killigan and Shego in full custody she pulled out her Kimmunicator and contacted Wade.

"Hey Kim, did you catch Killigan and Shego?"

"Yup, and I still can't believe Killigan would break Shego out to help him… oh, once again the suite came in handy."

Wade smiled, "I'm glad to hear that…"

"You haven't heard from Ron, have you?"

"Sorry Kim, I haven't heard from him lately."

Kim frowned as she tried to think of a solution. She could easily have Wade pinpoint Ron's location and drop in unannounced but she didn't want to disturb his training. Not to mention it would be awkweird to explain how she had managed to find a hidden secret ninja school.

But the problem went deeper than that. What if he really was only at Yamanouchi to be away from Kim? Her dropping in could create a rift between them, something she hoped wasn't happening already, and actually confirm what Kim was thinking.

"Wade… can you pinpoint Ron's location? I believe it's time for some one on one."

Wade was surprised by Kim's statement, "Are you sure, Ron did kind of ask for some privacy?"

"And he also agreed to call me, so he went back on his word allowing me to back out of mine."

Wade rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to argue with her, although he knew he wouldn't win, "That's kind of…" the look on Kim's said to not finish the sentence, "Okay, I'll start the trace for Ron's location."

The sounds of the keys tapping could be heard as Wade ran the tracking system in order to find Ron. Wade stopped as he raised an eyebrow and typed again, only to get the same result.

"Uh, Kim, you're not going to like this, but I can't seem to get a lock on him."

Kim was surprised and a bit worried by the comment, "What do you mean?"

"I'm definitely getting a signal from Japan, but I can't pinpoint the location. Maybe with a bit of time…"

"Okay, but find me a ride to Japan."

"I'm on it… oh wait there's a call for you from Eric. I'll patch him through."

"Please and thank you," Kim smiled as the familiar face of her current boyfriend appeared on screen, "Hey Eric."

"Kim I'm glad you're okay. So how did it go?"

"I'm actually done, but I have to go and take care of something else."

Eric's face showed a bit of annoyance on his face before quickly replacing it with a smile, Kim saw the look but she expected it, "So you have another mission? I thought we were going to go out after this one?"

"I know, but I really need to take care of this."

"Okay, I understand, so what's the mission? Is it really dangerous?"

Kim gave him a thoughtful smile, "I hope it isn't."

* * *

He stared down to his opponent and dashed forward just as his opponent did so in the same moment, both bodies clashing as they moved to strike one another. The blows only managed to glance each other as they both moved to avoid, the surprise look on his opponent face said it all as he moved under once again and tried to strike with a spear hand into his opponents sternum only to have him use a shoulder block with a spin to get behind him.

His hand instinctively reached behind his head as he caught the incoming elbow aimed at the back of his neck. The action must have caught his opponent unaware as he hesitated for a split second and used this slight hesitation to his advantage to get under his opponents center of gravity and toss him forward. He followed the attack with a few quick strikes as he leapt forward trying to catch his opponent off-guard only to have him land on his feet and parry the incoming strikes aimed at his vitals, and return a few of his own.

He could feel one of the blows catch the side of his head and leave an open gap as blood began to pour down his face and a front kick catch him in the sternum as he flew back.

The impact of the blow reverberated through his chest as he felt his whole body move back from the force. The secondary impact from him hitting the wall wasn't any better but it allowed a solid ground for him to counter attack with a spinning heel kick that caught his opponent by surprise, but only for a brief moment, until he felt his leg get caught and tossed towards the floor with a surprising force.

The flames still flickered around them but they were slowly diminishing, dying out, as the battle wore on. His opponent stood, towering over him as he tried to stand on his feet.

"I don't get it, I'm the stronger one! I'm the smarter one! How is it that you are winning!?" Zorpox screamed as he tried to get on his feet. Ron's only response was him sliding into his stance.

Zorpox finally stood and grabbed his ribs. He could taste the copper in his mouth and feel the cold chill on his back. He was winning… he had already won only to have… the weak one began to take over. They had fought for what seemed like hours already only to have Ron show his abilities more and more as they went on.

"I'm not going back… I'm not going to lie back under the surface… allow you to live that pathetic life of yours always following Kim and allowing her to have her way with you. NO!!!"

Ron paused and slowly gave him a tired smile, "You are me, no matter who you are…"

Ron rushed forward with speed that surprised Zorpox and struck his chest and time seemed to slow down for a few seconds as Zorpox stood motionless only to fall on his knees, "Fine for now… you win."

A long moment of silence followed as Zorpox seemed to disappear into smoke that surrounded him until it disappeared. He suddenly felt the weight of his legs and stumbled to his knees, "What is going on…"

The room suddenly brightened to reveal the old man once more as Ron struggled against the blinding light. "Can you not shine that in my face… please?"

"Certainly Chosen One and I must add that I am very impressed." The old man replied as he stood and motioned for Ron to stand as well.

"I fought Shego, and ninja monkeys, that's when you had me fooled, but then I fought an evil me…" Ron let the sentence hang. He looked at his arm that was burned only to reveal unblemished flesh, reached for his face to reveal no wound the only thing hurting was his legs from the long meditation.

"I thought something was weird… but I came to understand that this was a test of the mind."

"The fact that you grasped the falsehood of this test means your perception is growing, allowing you to see that which cannot be seen."

"So me fighting my inner enemies means…"

"Young one, what do you think it means? Use some of the perception you have just acquired to figure it out."

Ron stood on shaky legs as he tried to understand, "He showed me what I was capable of… that I shouldn't be afraid of my own potential. Just like Sensei was telling me… I have a lot of potential, it just matters how I use it."

The old man smiled as he bowed, "You have succeeded in your first test."

"Wait… first test implies that there's more." Ron asked concerned about what that would mean.

The old contained his laugh as he nodded, "Yes, but not today. In the future there will be more test and I have confidence you will not disappoint."

Ron smiled and nodded before slowly bowing to the old man. "Thank you, Sensei."

"Call me Taka Stoppable-san." The old man then turned and returned right next to the stone basin and his meditative stance, exactly as Ron had found him. "I believe there may be somebody already waiting for you."

Ron slowly turned and headed back the way he had entered feeling a sense of accomplishment as he made his way out to reveal the day had turned into night. There beneath the stars was a lone figure, her hair flowing with the wind that accompanied the altitude, and paused as he observed her.

"The stars almost make the trip worth it…" Ron muttered as he leaped next to her. "Don't you agree?"

Yori turned and gave him a gentle smile, "I believe that is one of the reasons that make this trip worth it, Stoppable-san."

Ron returned the smile and turned back to see the sky, "I have to thank Sensei, I didn't believe him when he said I had potential… but now I know."

Yori kept her gaze on Ron and noticed that his eyes steeled over with determination, a look she hadn't seen since he was determined to save her the first time. She smiled as she realized that the trial had actually helped him reinforce his determination. "I am glad to hear that Stoppable-san."

* * *

Ron looked at the phone and took a deep breath, it was time to man up and do what he had been avoiding since he arrived at Yamanouchi, he approached it and used the speed dial to call the usual person. He waited as it rang once, twice, and the usual answer.

"Hey Ron, how's it going!"

Ron smiled, "Hey Wade, do me a favor and patch me to Kim please."

"I have to say it's perfect timing, I think both of you need to talk a bit."

Ron could hear a small fluctuation in Wade's voice, something he couldn't pick up before coming to a secret ninja school, and grew a bit concern, "Oookay… let me talk to her."

Ron waited for a few seconds until he heard the usual voice, "Ron, why haven't you called me?"

Ron could hear the sound of twin engines, "Been kind of busy with training… are you on a plane?"

"I was actually on my way to see you," Kim responded, "I was worried after I didn't hear from you."

"Sorry K.P. it's just that Sensei has me training pretty hard lately since I'm kind of in the remedial course in ninja school."

Kim raised an eyebrow, "Remedial course? You're kidding right?"

"Well… a little bit, but he has been training me pretty hard lately."

Kim smiled as she heard the response, "I'm pretty sure you'll be helping me take down bad guys in no time."

Ron smiled as he heard her voice, then his smile firmed as he steeled himself to say the next part, "Kim can you do me a favor and not come to Yamanouchi."

Kim was shocked, "Why? Don't you want to see me?"

"It's not that I don't want to see you, it's just that I promised not to reveal secrets of The Yamanouchi School. You know about its existence only because they allowed me to tell you, but they wouldn't like it if you knew where the school was."

"And this has nothing to do with the fact that you want to be away from me…"

Ron realized what was going on and decided to be a bit truthful, "I would be lying if I said it wasn't part of the reason…"

"RON!" Kim was shocked once again by the statement.

"But the full reason is that I want my full progress to be a surprise, so please don't ruin it."

"You're telling me you want to be away from me because of progress?"

Ron knew that if he didn't approach this situation with a bit more tact and grace than he would usually would he would have a very angry, very capable red-head in his front door ready to inflict pain upon his delicate body, no amount of training could prepare him for that beating. "Kim, I want to see how far I can go without having to depend on anyone else but myself. You're always on my case how I should be more assertive, this is me finally being assertive. I think, no I know, I need this… please K.P., let me do this on my own."

Kim grew quite as she debated with herself on what to do. Part of her was angry at the fact that Ron was telling her to stay away from her, but another was actually proud to hear that Ron was doing something to better himself. "Ron, why are you doing this?"

Ron could hear the sadness in her voice but knew he had to tell her, "To reach my full potential, to learn what I'm capable and to push myself as far as I can."

"Okay, I won't go to Yamanouchi, but forget to call me again and I will be at your doorstep in a flash, you got that mister."

Ron smiled, "I got it."

* * *

The chain rattled a bit as he tugged it, making sure it was strong enough to hold his weight, and then he swung towards the side of the cliff. Pulling a set of steel claws, he used them to cling to the wall, he then pulled on the chain to unhook it and begin his long climb up.

He moved towards his goal with clear determination, avoiding falling debris by leaping to the side and using his experience to avoid weak footholds, and continued to move forward.

The trip continued on key until he felt his right hand give way as he reached for the next hand grip with his left. He felt himself begin to fall back and into a freefall as he reached into his gi and pulled out the long chain once more, tossing it towards a protruding rock and used it to swing back to the cliff wall to regain his grip.

"Woo… that was a close one…" he muttered as he wiped the sweat from his eyes and continued on with his task. Finally as he reached his destination he looked up to find a familiar face waiting for him, helping him regain his footing on the peak.

"Very good, you have greatly improved Stoppable-san." Ron smiled at the notion. "Still Rufus-san has defeated you once more."

Ron looked to his left where Rufus was laying back, his belly full of cherries, the prize for the task, and gave a small burp. Ron chuckled as he lowered his head to show his defeat and Yori giggled. "You still did great Stoppable-san.

His time in Yamanouchi had been great for the blonde producing changes in him that he never thought possible. His hair had grown longer and his body was in better shape, having taken to the training. He no longer resembled the old Ron that could barely keep up with Kim in all those missions, now he was faster, stronger, and better yet, completely determined to succeed.

_All this from only a couple of months…_ Ron thought to himself as he smiled at the girl besides him. "I'm glad you approve Yori. I hope that this time I didn't miss dinner cause I'm starving."

Yori giggled a bit, "Not this time Stoppable-san, I believe your timing is, as you say, impeccable."

"Good, then I guess we better get going, right?" Ron stated as he made his way towards the trail leading back to the school, "Unless you have anything else you wish for me to do, oh harsh task master."

Yori giggled at the comment. Ron smiled. Although they weren't seeing each other, something he wasn't sure if he was ready for, he did enjoy flirting with her every once and a while, and he felt that she flirted back as well.

"Stoppable-san, you and your American style jokes, maybe one evening you can show me more of your… humor." She said that last word with a bit of a flirtatious voice and smiled.

"Maybe… I'd have to check my schedule to see if I have time." Ron replied back with a smirk.

They continued their little evening ritual as they made their entrance to the school where Sensei was waiting for both.

"Ah Stoppable-san, I see that you have returned earlier than usual this time. I take it a sign of your progress."

Ron and Yori both bowed, Ron looking up with a smile as he responded, "It is Sensei, and I must say it's great to be back before complete sundown."

"That is good Stoppable-san, and I wish to congratulate you by asking you to join me for dinner."

"Wow… um… yes! It would be my honor to attend." Ron managed to reply as he bowed at Sensei.

"You are of course invited as well Yori, please arrive within the hour." Sensei stated as he turned and headed inside the school.

Ron turned to Yori who gave him a broad smile, "It is a great honor to be invited to sit with Sensei."

"I figured… is this some sort of test?"

"I do not think it is a test, but simply a setting to speak with you."

Ron gave her a questioning look as he replied, "Then… does that mean he wishes to speak to both of us, since he invited you as well?"

Yori thought about the question for second, "I do not know."

* * *

"So everything is okay over there?"

"Yeah, I even got invited over to dinner with Sensei." Ron stated as he tried to fix his hair while speaking on speaker phone.

"That's nice Ron."

"Thanks K.P."

Kim smiled as she heard his nickname for her. She was surprised that Ron hadn't called every five minutes as he usually did whenever he was away from her. Although she was glad that Ron didn't have to call all the time, a part of her felt a bit of sadness at his sudden surge of independence. Not that it was a bad thing, it just felt weird.

"So what did you do today?"

"Um…" Ron paused as he thought of an answer. _Oh, I simply surpassed most of the students in sparring, finished my weapons training, completed my fifth obstacle and endurance course in record time, managed to master various ninja techniques, and am finally able to access my Mystic Monkey Power to some extent… _"I tried to keep my pants on."

"What were you doing that gave you trouble keeping your pants?" Kim asked with a bit of a laugh.

"Just some basic stuff, you know?" Ron simply said as he began to fuss about his shirt, stopping only when he heard his door slide.

"Stoppable-san, we must head to Sensei's quarters."

"Thanks Yori."

Kim frowned as she heard the girl's voice over the phone. "What's Yori doing in your room?"

"Yori, she's just escorting me to meet with Sensei." He replied as he walked towards the door, "Sorry K.P. but I have to go, Bye."

"Ron!" was all Kim was able to say before he hung up; the frown on her face clearly evident as she walked down to the kitchen and sat down on the table with a huff. Dr. Ann Possible watched her, giving Kim and inquisitive look as she approached her.

"Kimmie, what's wrong?"

Kim sighed as she recounted the events of the previous months to her mother. "And so now that we talked he suddenly had to go with Yori and I feel… I don't know." Kim gave her mother a worried look, "It's kind of silly isn't it?"

"No, although I do think you're blowing this way out if proportion Kim." She commented as she took a sip from her drink, "So Ron has a friend to talk to in Japan it doesn't take anything away from your friendship… does it?"

"Well, no but I can't shake the feeling that there's something else going on."

"Like maybe they're more than friends? Now that would be silly wouldn't it?" Ann sarcastically replied. "God forbid he'd have a girlfriend."

"I guess I am jelling a bit, now that I think about it."

"Let Ron have his time out in the sun, you should be glad he found someone like you found Eric."

Kim gave her a thoughtful look as she thought the situation over then smiled a small smile, "You're right, I shouldn't harsh on Ron for having a girlfriend, even if it is Yori."

"There you go Kim, now tell me about you and Eric…" Mrs. Possible let the last word hang for a bit as she took another sip.

"Mom!"

* * *

Ron was surprised at the formality of the dinner. Although Ron had been to a couple of formal dinners with his parents, especially when he was forced to attend his father's actuator dinners, the formality and customs where different than what he had expected. It was a nice change of pace for the young blonde. And as the night continued the dinner became a small discussion about spirituality and morals.

"Now, I understand the whole, "being humble" but if you have some skills that can benefit others and yourself, couldn't you just do it?" Ron asked as he tried to comprehend and be a part of the conversation.

"The question is not could you, but should you, knowing that your action or skills would eventually hurt more people than those you would be helping." The old man countered as he held the cup of hot tea to his lips.

"Sensei is correct, just because you have the skills to defeat everyone around you does not make it okay to do so."

"I understand that, but if let's say I use my martial arts to defend a student from a bully…"

"Then you only continue a cycle of violence, and that does not benefit anyone."

"Well yeah but then what do you suggest? Just walk by and not do anything?" Ron asked with genuine curiosity.

"That is not what Sensei is saying Stoppable-san he is merely suggesting that violence should be the last recourse for a solution." Yori answered as she tried to explain.

"Okay, I think I get it. I should instead try to talk it out, make them understand that it's not right to be picking on others. Then if they refuse kick some butt."

"Yes, young Stoppable… it will sometimes be necessary to 'kick some butt' as you say." Sensei added glad that Ron grasped the idea.

"Then what about the bad guys like Monkey Fist or Dr. Drakken? Should we talk to them first?"

"There will be times where action is required instead of words. Monkey Fist and this Dr. Drakken know that what they are doing wrong and thus must be stopped from hurting many others in the process. They are the exception to the rule."

Ron nodded as he understood. "Basically, pick and choose your battles."

"That is one way of looking at things yes, but Sensei is talking about doing things for a sense of duty, not just for a sense of might."

"Well… okay I get it. I think." Ron replied as he screwed his face up trying to absorb this new information. This action made Yori giggle and Sensei chuckle.

"Stoppable-san I have full confidence that you will have no problem doing what is right." Sensei commented as he cleared his throat. "Now for the reason I call both of you here."

Ron noticed that the mood in the room changed from relaxed to professional as soon as Sensei had muttered those words.

"I call you because you two are the most capable students that this school can offer and as such I call upon your help to recover something of utmost importance." Sensei informed. "The item in question is the Han."

"The Han?" Ron asked in surprise.

"Is it true Sensei, the Han has made an appearance?" Yori asked with equal parts surprise and wonder.

"Yes Yori, the Han is said to be a weapon of great power. Achieving the weapon is your good fortune, for loving it makes it unstoppable."

"And you're asking for us to recover this all powerful weapon."

Sensei paused as he looked at Ron, "Yes Stoppable-san. Yori is one of our most prized students while you have exceeded all expectations, as well as posses the Mystical Monkey Power. I have no doubt that both of you will be capable to complete this request."

"It would be our honor to do this, Sensei." Yori stated as she bowed. Sensei then looked at Ron waiting for his reply. Ron gave him a smile as he bowed. "When do we go?"

* * *

"The trail to the Han requires us to pass through the glacier pass under the mountain. We must be careful since the summer temperature has melted much of the ice and we could very well be flooded with icy cold water from the melting ice and snow." Yori explained as Ron looked over the torrential water besides the pass slowly rising. Ron gave a little shudder as he thought of being washed away by the ice water.

"You can stop now Yori, I get the picture. We have to get through this pretty quick then."

"I am merely stating the facts Stoppable-san." She replied with a smile.

"Sometimes I think you do that just to see me squirm." Ron replied giving Yori a knowing look. "Still I think even seeing the stream like that should be motivation enough to move through quickly."

He quickly looked around to his surroundings, noticing the various cliffs and stalactites hanging from the caverns ceiling. The path was narrow but large enough for a single person to pass with various places flooded already. He focused on his other senses, listening for the telltale sounds of rock crumbling and water dripping, and smelling the fresh water smell.

"We better move quickly, I don't like how things look, sound, or smell." Ron stated as he stepped forward.

"I see your senses have improved Stoppable-san." Yori complimented as she leapt to an edge watching Ron do the same, "and your physical feats have increased as well."

"The sensory deprivation exercises and the constant training are finally taking effect." Ron replied as he ran up the side of the wall, jumped off grabbing a nearby stalactite and swung himself forward to propel himself to the other side. "Or maybe it's just the Mystical Monkey Power helping me do all this."

"I don't think your powers are helping you." Yori started to say as she did the same maneuver as Ron to get to the other side. "I truly believe that your own effort has born fruit and thus are quite capable."

They both moved with speed and precision as they moved forward on the trail, jumping, leaping and climbing their way to their destination as the water level kept rising.

"You really think I'm capable?" Ron asked as he landed on the cliff, noticing as it cracked a bit under the weight. The realization came to him as he saw Yori leap towards him. "Yori don't!"

The moment notice was too late as she landed and the small cliff gave way under the combined weight. They both pulled their chains out and tossed them towards two stalactites protruding from the ceiling. The chains tensed for a second, Ron's holding his weight while Yori's slacked again as the stalactite broke causing her to fall into the icy waters below.

"Yori!" yelled Ron as he saw her hit the water followed by the piece of stalactite a split second later. Ron waited for a few seconds for Yori to appear, but when she failed to do so he took a deep breath. He pulled himself up and used the split second to unwrap the chain as he dove into the water.

He felt the ice water immediately numb his extremities, forcing his body into an almost lethargic state. Ron forced his body to move as he tried to look for Yori, only being able to see a small trail of blood within the water's flow.

"Yori!" he screamed after he pushed his head above the water. "Where is she…" He muttered to himself as he looked around, "There!"

Noticing the dark clothing from the gi floating in the water he pushed his numb body forward trying to reach her before their situation got worse noticing as more boulders fell into the rushing waters. He grabbed his chain and swung it overhead, tossing it and wrapping it around stalagmite on the edge of a cliff and pulled. Using the forward momentum to run across the wall and land next to Yori, grabbing her and then pulled them both out of the water.

Using the last of his strength Ron managed to bring them both to an edge high enough to avoid flooding and began to look over Yori.

"Come on Yori, please be okay." Ron muttered as he looked her over, finding a wound on her forehead and her body shaking from the cold. "I have to get a fire started somehow."

Ron looked around to his surroundings trying to find some sort of foliage or wood to begin a fire, but finding none. He turned to look at Yori and her shaking form. He couldn't leave her in the state she was, she could die from the blow to her head or worse from hypothermia.

Ron picked her up and kept her close to him, giving her his body heat, as he looked around for a path. The quickest path out of the caverns was to leap across to the other side non-stop, but Ron doubted that he had the energy or the strength to do so without collapsing from exhaustion before they got to the other side.

"There isn't an alternative…" Ron muttered as he donned his serious face. He started to leap forward, moving nonstop to the next cliff edge, the next stalagmite, and swinging to the other side using his chain non-stop straining his muscles as he continued. The strain finally caught to him as he leapt and fell short of his goal, grabbing the edge and barely hanged on.

As Ron dangled on the edge of the cliff he could feel his grip slacking slowly. The pain and exhaustion were getting to him, and the added weight from holding Yori was dragging him down_. I need to focus… focus all of your energy to get… out… of… this!_ As he focused on his arm the edge collapsed, forcing both Yori and Ron to a freefall and time seemed to slow down for the blonde.

_Huh… I thought I would have died fighting to stop some take over the world plot, not falling off an edge and into ice water… _Ron's face screwed up as he fought once more for his life. _No… not here! Kim still needs me… Sensei still needs me… Yori needs me!_

All he saw was blue.


	6. The Arrival Prt 2 & A Determined GoodBye

**Hey guys, long time no hear from. Sorry about that, but as many of you know This past month has been term finals and work has been hectic in lew of the summer vacation that will be among us. Still I managed to write this up and hopefully I still have some fans that enjoy the story. Hopefully now with the workload gone down I will have more time to write, so expect more updates now. Still we are about o get to the good stuff so don't hesitate to message, review and overall leave your thoughts for me to know. I always enjoy reading them no matter the content, (Still I would rather see more compliments than flames.) So let me know How I do.**

**Disclaimer: I do not Own Kim Possible except for minor or recurring characters that appear in this series that are not owned by Disney.**

**Chapter 6: The Arrival Part 2 & A Determined Goodbye**

Light, that was the first thing she saw as her eyes opened. The warm glow of a fire awoke her to find herself lying on the ground and covered by the top of a gi. She tried to get up and found that the act made her slightly dizzy, so she stopped and was startled to find herself with only her sports shirt, bike shorts, and a bandage around her head.

She covered herself as she looked around to find her gi drying by the fire. "Stoppable, Stoppable-san where are you?" There was no one else but her in the small clearing which worried her for a second before Ron entered without a shirt.

Ron for his part quickly turned when he saw Yori sitting up. "Whoa, Yori… sorry I didn't mean to look!"

Yori giggled a bit as she covered herself. "Do not worry Stoppable-san. I am sure that you did not take advantage of the situation."

"Yeah, if anything I was worried you wouldn't be able to wake up." He pointed to her bandage. "You hit your head pretty badly with the fall."

Yori tried to think back to the fall and could only recall hitting the water before everything went black.

"Not only that, we almost didn't make it out of the caverns before you suffered from the effects hypothermia." Ron told her as she let a small shudder escape. Ron quickly grew concerned as he moved right next to Yori. "Are you okay?"

"I still feel a bit numb from the cold." She answered as she tried to keep herself warm. Ron felt uncomfortable with the situation, not sure what to do, and gave a small nervous laugh.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Ron asked as he added more firewood to the fire.

"Could you… hold me?" She asked with a slight shudder. Ron looked at her with a small smile and nodded, placing himself behind her and embracing her. He could feel the coldness in her extremities and the slight trembling as she tried to keep herself warm. He rubbed her shoulders as she rested her head on his shoulders

He watched her as she fell asleep and her trembling stopped. Watched as she breathed slowly and comfortably, and couldn't help but remember all the times he had been with Kim in similar situations.

He sighed as he realized that although he was a world apart, he still held some feelings for the redhead. "Maybe I'll always will…" Ron muttered to himself as he looked up to the stars.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ron and Yori approached the small town or village? Ron wasn't quite sure what to classify the small grouping of homes and people.

"So what exactly are we looking for? Is it like a sword, staff or maybe it's a bracelet?" Ron began to mutter as they made their way through the roads.

"Sensei merely said that it would be small, and that with your attunement we would be able to find it without difficulty." Yori responded as she looked around as well.

"So Mystical Monkey Power will help us find this weapon? Then that means I'm basically the tracking system." Ron replied with a bit of skepticism. "If I wasn't here, who would go out to find it?"

"I believe Sensei would be the only one capable of finding this weapon besides you Stoppable-san."

Ron stopped as he pondered the answer, "Yeah, I can see that. So I guess that means that I'll have to find this weapon, right?"

He saw Yori nod as he closed his eyes, focusing on his surroundings; he took a deep breath as he tried to access his Mystical Monkey Powers. Slowly, as he reached his meditative state, he felt the air around him begin to blow, and opened his eyes to reveal blue.

Yori gasped as she saw him access his powers and noticed Ron quickly reach out and grasp the air.

"Got it, we have to go this way!" Ron exclaimed as he started to head out. Yori followed right behind, "Stoppable-san, how do you know where it is?"

"I'm just following the string!"

"What string?"

Ron gave out a small smile as he ran through the streets, leapt over buildings, and followed the string. "Don't worry Yori; I know what I'm doing."

Yori followed Ron until he stopped in front of a small home. "Stoppable-san why did-"

"It's here Yori. The Han is in there…" Ron muttered as he tried to think of a reason why it was inside a home. _Maybe someone found it and brought it inside without knowing what it was?_ Whatever the reason, they had to return to Yamanouchi with it.

"Let's go inside, maybe then we can make sense out of this." Ron muttered as he entered. The building was a bit dilapidated, which Ron found odd since they were in Japan, and entered a bit wary of the situation.

"Hello, anyone in here?" Ron called out. He stopped as he noticed movement and saw an old lady walk out. Ron slowly gave her a bow. "We're sorry for intruding."

"Ah, so you have finally come! Come in, come in…" The old women muttered as she started to guide the two teenagers inside. "So I am to assume you are here for Hanna."

"Hanna… um I think you might be mistaken…" Ron started but stopped as he clearly saw the string going to the general direction that the old woman was taking them.

"I think not, are you not Stoppable-san?" The old woman muttered as she opened the door.

"Yeah… how did you know that?" Ron asked as he looked at Yori who looked at him, clearly not knowing what was going on.

"Then you are here for Hanna." The old woman answered as she held a bundle in her arms and gave it to Ron who removed the cover and saw a young baby in his arms. The string clearly tied to her pinky finger. Realization came quickly to his mind.

"For loving the weapon makes it unstoppable…" Ron smiled at the baby, "Which makes you the Han."

Yori moved next to Ron and looked at the baby as well. "So the young child is the Han?"

"It looks like it." Ron replied as he looked at the old woman. "So where are her parents?"

The old woman lowered her head as she spoke, "Unfortunately, her father died before she was born and her mother passed on while giving birth to her."

Ron looked at Hanna with a sad look, "So she's an orphan?"

The old lady nodded as she coughed, "I do not have much time. You must return her to Yamanouchi for her safe keeping."

"We must return, now that the Han has been located." Yori told Ron as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "We must make sure Hanna remains safe."

"You're right, but we're going to have to find another path to return." Ron started to point out when he heard the sounds of a helicopter over head. Ron looked at Yori. "And why couldn't we take a helicopter to begin with? We could have avoided the whole life and death sitch."

"Sensei believed that the journey would allow you to attune yourself further with your Mystical Monkey Power," Yori started to explain and then moved in and kissed Ron on the cheek, "Do you still complain?"

Ron blushed, "No, of course not Yori."

"Good, then we must go now and return to Yamanouchi."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sensei held the young baby in his arms as he looked at Ron and Yori.

"I am proud that both of you succeeded in your task." He then smiled as he rocked the baby.

"Thank you Sensei" Yori and Ron commented as they bowed.

"I wish for both to resume your training soon."

"We will Sensei." Ron answered back as he bowed. He then rose and looked at Hanna. "So, what's going to happen to her?"

"Young Hanna will be raised here for a while, until we decide what will be suitable for her situation." Sensei replied. "I am to assume that both of you know what or who she is."

"Yes Sensei, Stoppable-san made the connection when he found her." Yori answered.

"Then that means the Stoppable-san used his Mystical Monkey Powers to find her."

"I did Sensei."

"That is good. I believe the time has come to begin the last part of your training." Sensei told Ron as he approached him. "This will be a solitary training for only you, Stoppable-san, as you are one of the few with Mystical Monkey Powers. This training will help you become the Ultimate Monkey Master."

"Are you sure I'm ready, Sensei."

"You are ready to receive the training. Your destiny has yet to be fulfilled."

Ron contemplated the statement as he looked at Sensei. He wasn't sure if he should be happy that he would receive the training, or be worried that he was destined for something bigger.

"For now, we should rest and prepare for another day." Sensei reminded them as he approached Ron, "And I believe it is prudent for Stoppable to take care for Hanna."

Ron raised his hands as Sensei tried to hand Hanna of to him, "I'm sorry Sensei, I'm not sure that I'm the right guy for the situation."

The old man gave him a smile, "I am confident that you will not disappoint."

Then Sensei handed the baby to Ron, who looked down at the baby, the small smile of content made him resign to the task. "I guess it couldn't hurt to take care of her for tonight."

Ron saw her smile as he rocked her a bit in his arms. _She is kind of cute…_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Sensei walked towards his room, a small smile on his face, and slowly closed the door as he gave his attention to his guest inside.

"Did he meet with your expectation?" The voice called out from within the shadows.

Master Sensei turned, a relaxed and hopeful expression on his face, as he answered, "Yes, more so now than when he first saved the Lotus Blade."

The shadows suddenly moved to reveal the other Sensei of the school, Taka. "I am glad to hear he has continued to progress even further in this new path of his."

"I am quite hopeful of his progress and his potential. A young man who not only tries to change himself, but what those around him think of him, is a formidable man indeed."

Taka slowly approached Master Sensei, his face impassive, and asked, "Have you told him about his destiny yet?"

"No… I believe it is not yet time, but the time will come soon."

Taka nodded, and slowly moved back into the shadows, "He will amaze us once more with his progress… I will look forward to his visit."

The old man stood, a small smile accompanied a proud gaze as he thought of the young blonde. "I look forward to it as well."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ron smiled as he played with baby Hanna, the cute faces and small laughter gave him a small reprieve from his training from the past few days, he was becoming quite enamored by the small child.

"Who's a good babaa? You're a good babaa!" Ron would coo as Hanna laughed.

The sound of feet shuffling snapped Ron back into attention. Master Sensei stood, a smile on his face, as Ron smiled back.

"I see you have become quite attached to the young child."

Ron nodded as he stood and carried Hanna, gently rocking her back and forth, and stood to meet his Sensei. "You were right Sensei… she has me head over heels for her."

"I am quite glad Stoppable-san, but I must speak to you about what happened on the day you found Hanna."

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?"

"In order for you to have found Hanna, you must use your Mystical Monkey Powers to attune yourself to her and be able to find her. Yori has already informed me that you did this, but I must ask how?"

Ron gave Sensei a skeptical look as he tried to recall the day, "Well all I remember doing is focusing on the Han, trying to find the weapon before anyone and return it back here. Then I just knew…"

"Good… Yori also confessed that you had to save her, is that true?"

Ron quickly nodded, "I had to save us both, and when I thought we were both done for…" Ron thought back to the moment when he thought he was going to die and let everyone else down. "I felt myself getting stronger and all I remember seeing was blue."

Master Sensei smiled and nodded, "It is as I hoped, Stoppable-san, you have willingly tapped into the Mystical Monkey Power, even if it was by accident."

Ron's look which would usually be that of amazement and disbelief was instead one of determination, "I thought so… it just didn't feel real until you said it right now."

"Then I believe it is time for you to continue your training with the Mystical Monkey Powers."

Ron nodded as he bowed respectfully towards his Sensei, "When do we start?"

Master Sensei shook his head as he responded, "Unfortunately Stoppable-san, we have felt it is better that you go see an old friend instead."

Ron realizing what Master Sensei was saying could only mutter one thing, "Taka- Sensei…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_You have reached a point on your path that requires further training and discipline… You have reached a level that was never expected from you so soon… You have reached a point in which you will have to decide what will lie ahead… and this time, you must do it without my guidance…_

Master Sensei's words still rang through Ron's mind as he stood at the bottom of the cliff. The steady pace that he set himself for the climb allowed his mind to wander. Bringing thoughts of what could become of him and his oncoming destiny as they so eloquently put it. As for the thoughts of a certain redhead, they no longer occupied his mind as they once did. Never before in his life did he ever believe that he would ever amount to anything other than Kim Possible's friend/assistant/sidekick. But now, here in this school, things were different, people actually wanted him to succeed and were pulling for him to continue. Never before was there such a purpose for him to push forward, never before was there any need to prove his worth, to show that their faith in him would be rewarded, and he found himself craving to become better, the best. Craving and striving for the approvals of others not for the popularity, but for the respect he received as he improved and continued to prove that they were right to believe in him.

He finally saw why Kim was so adamant on doing things the way she did, the approval and respect of his peers brought him more satisfaction when he did it through hard work.

The climb up the mountain cliff side was as hard as he remembered, but the thoughts of his prior accomplishments only served to spur him further. The fact that he had succeeded in climbing this treacherous path once already served to boost his confidence. So he climbed and climbed until he reached the familiar entrance, and slowly approached it once more entering with determination.

This time instead of the fearing the darkness as he once did, he relished in it as it meant safety due to his ninja training. He made sure to hide his footsteps as he approached, slowly getting within the lights range.

"I see you have improved much, Chosen One." The old voice chuckled as the vague outline of a hooded figure stepped into the light.

"I could have sworn that I would be able to get the jump on you this time. I hid my scent; I hid the sound of my steps and breathing… I even went as far as to keep using the shadows even though you can't see."

"But even if I can't see, hear or smell you… I can still feel your presence."

Ron's look of disbelief was lost upon the old man, "Is that some sort of ninja super sense?"

The laughter of the older man filled the cave, "Something like that, I felt the air current to find out your position."

Ron simply smiled, "I guess I still have to learn a lot more, huh?"

"And you will, it will only be a matter of time."

The cave suddenly began to rumble as the door began to close leaving the cave into complete darkness. Ron could only watch as the walls and floors shook and the darkness finally consumed the whole room.

"What was that for?"

The voice of the old man could be heard as shaking finally stopped. "It is time you learned about your power and your destiny…"

Ron could feel the determination in the old man's voice before he replied, "Then let's get started."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This has been the best night so far." Kim stated as she grabbed Eric's arm. "It's been the best 'date night' in a long while." Her voice showed the enjoyment and excitement she felt.

"I'm glad you approve. I have to admit I was surprised when you said you set the whole day aside for just us, but it really has been a great night so far."

Kim smiled as she blushed lightly, "I know I've been kind of busy since we got together officially at the prom, so I felt it was time I set some time for you."

Eric smiled, relishing the thought, as they approached Chez Couteaqx and greeted the Maitre D as he showed them to their reserved table.

"Wow, Chez Couteaqx, how did you manage to get a table?" Kim asked a bit amused from Eric's reaction. Eric for his part simply smiled before answering.

"Had to ask for a few favors…"

"What kind of favors?" Kim asked a bit worried about his possible response.

"I had to ask my dad for help… he got us in but ill be interning in his firm until school starts."

Kim cringed a bit, "Ooh, sorry… guess it's a good thing I set aside the day for us."

Eric and Kim simply smiled as they both looked at each other endearingly before the maitre D stood next to their table and cleared his throat. "Sir, madam, Sorry to intrude but I have someone on the phone asking for a Kim Possible."

Kim slowly raised her eyebrow as she responded, "Who?"

"He claims to be a friend of yours, a young gentleman named Wade."

Kim was shocked by the news and slowly turned to look at Eric who had a look of disappointment on his face. Kim could only give him an apologetic look as she replied "I'll take it."

Kim quickly got up from her seat and went to take the phone. She tried to control her temper as she spoke, "WADE, I thought I told you that I was not available tonight!"

"I'm sorry Kim, but I thought that this was urgent enough to call you."

"What could possibly be so urgent as to call me right now!" Kim growled with a bit of anger and her displeasure reflected in her tone. Wade simply gave her a sheepish look.

"It's about Ron… he left a message for you and it sounded kind of important… I really think you should hear this now."

Kim paused for a second as she considered the possible meaning for the message but simply wrote it off as she took a deep breath and let it out with a huff, "So he just left a message and you think it's important enough to interrupt my first real date with Eric in weeks?" Kim shook her head in disbelief, "I'll call you later to hear the message but for now let me have my night with Eric."

The line went silent for a second before Wade responded, "Okay, sorry to have bothered you."

The phone cut off as Wade hung up and Kim stood hearing the tone. Kim started to feel a bit guilty but quickly pushed those feeling aside ass she made her way towards Eric and sat at the table. Eric looked like he was ready to spend another dinner alone as he asked, "So where do you have to go?"

Kim simply gave him a huge grin as she leaned forward a bit, "Here"

Eric returned the grin as he started to talk about the concert and what he wanted to do for the next date night. Kim laughed, chatted, and flirted back… overall it was a night to remember. If Ron could only manage to spare a few minutes for her, so would she… it seemed only fair.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of rocks shattering echoed throughout the cave just like ripples over the water's surface. Ron quickly tried to regain his bearings of the surrounding structures as he continued to move around in the darkness. Almost immediately he jumped from his current position to another rising rock formation, jumped down, rolled forward, and managed to roll into a crouching position as the platform he left behind crashed to the ground.

"You have improved immensely Chosen One. It's been much harder to catch you this time."

Ron rushed as fast and silently as he could towards Taka to exchange blows, striking against a stiff guard and trying to parry the counter attacks. Although Ron had improved, he was still no match for a Grand Master of Taka's skill. Still Ron felt that running away would prove nothing and decided instead to face his foe head on, with skill and tactics.

The blows to his liver, left side of the head, shoulder, and solar plexus only served to remind Ron that he still had a lot to learn. Ron jumped out of the fray and tried to hide himself once more as he tried to gain a bit of a reprieve from the attacks.

"You even tried to strike against your foe without fear… Master Sensei has thought you well. Even when your opponent is much stronger, you still strike… that shows courage… determination… he was right to rely on you." Taka muttered as he tried to locate Ron.

Ron's mind started to ask questions, "What do you mean?"

Taka smiled, finding him had proved difficult as Ron seemed to have mastered the art of silent movement, so having him talk was a means to an end.

"I once told you that your former path had been closed, that this new path would bring you great pain and joy… but this new path will also bring you great peril." Taka moved quickly to strike but found no one. He smiled.

"Great peril, what kind of great peril?" Ron asked as he continued to move to avoid detection.

Taka's face grew passive once more as he moved to corner the voice in the darkness again. "That we do not know, but we feel that you will have much to do with it."

Ron stopped and thought about what that could mean. "So… I'm the bad guy? Then why did you train me?"

Taka stopped, Is that what he thinks of himself, he thought. "Do you believe yourself a villain Stoppable-san?"

"No, I'd never do anything that would hurt anyone, especially Kim…" Ron started to protest but suddenly fell quiet.

"Ever? Not even if she was the one hurting you?" Taka asked as he tried to understand Ron's motivation. Although he knew that this line of questioning could be dangerous, he was willing to do it to find out whether he was truly someone who could be relied on and thus train him further in his abilities or… Taka didn't want to think about the second outcome.

"Tell me Stoppable, have you ever wanted to hurt those who wanted to hurt you? Destroy those who would stop you from getting what you wanted, who stood in your way?"

Ron thought about it; as he was now he could get back at the goons from D hall, force his way to the top of the food chain, take Kim from Eric…

Ron smiled.

"It's not who I am, but what I do that defines me, just like that Batman movie showed… it's true that there are times that I want to hurt those who hurt me, but I don't. I would rather help those who need to be helped than to be selfish with my gifts. That's why I help Kim with her missions even when I'm scared out of my wits. That's why I do what I can even when they call me an idiot or a buffoon, or the occasional sarcastic sidekick comment."

Ron felt a hand land on his shoulder, and he quickly turned and raised his guard for the incoming attack, yet none came. Ron slowly lowered his guard.

"I'm pleased to hear you say that Chosen One. Those who do not realize the darkness within themselves are more susceptible to it. By admitting your own faults you have given yourself a chance to overcome them and understand them. You have accepted yourself as a whole rather than only that which you think is best."

"So… I'm not going to be the bad guy?" Ron asked a bit of confusion in his voice.

"Did I ever say you would become a villain?" Taka asked. Although Ron couldn't see the old man's face due to the darkness he could tell he was smiling.

"You said that the great peril would involve me." Ron stated as he stood.

"Chosen One, you tried to read too much between the lines of my comment, sometimes a comment is simply a comment."

"Like sometimes a Naco is simply a Naco, and not some Diablo Sauce filled time bomb." Ron added.

Taka paused a second as he tried to understand what the young man was trying to say, "I… think so…"

Ron slapped his forehead as he understood what the old man said. "All this time of having you and Master Sensei responding in riddles has me thinking that every comment has a riddle in it."

"That is not always bad Stoppable-san, and it will come in use in the future, but for now we must move to more important matters." Taka nudged Ron to step down from the rock formation, "We must talk about your Mystical Monkey Powers and your new found control over them."

"Alright, but can we get some light in here? I would rather be able to see you when we talk about this." Ron whined.

"Unfortunately, we can't light any fires in here, so I apologize for the lack of light." He replied, "And we can't leave this cave until you are ready."

Ron froze when he heard that. "We can't leave? Wait… what do you mean we can't leave until I'm ready? Ready for what?"

"Until you're ready for the perils that await you."

Ron had long overcome his former self, no longer easily distracted or scared over every little problem, but the recent news seemed to have brought his former self back.

"I'M STUCK HERE UNTIL THEN!" Ron screamed in shock, "I only have a little over three weeks before classes start back in Middleton! There's no possible way for me to get ready for whatever great perils you think are coming by then!"

Taka simply shook his head as he responded, "Then I guess we better get started."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kim entered her home, he heart a flutter from the night's events, and walked with a new spring her step as she headed towards her room.

"Kimmie, how did it go?" a voice rang out from the dinning room.

Kim snapped out of her daze as she turned to face her mother sitting at the table surrounded by research books. Anne Possible gave her daughter a loving smile as Kim headed her way.

"It was great! It was a nice change of pace to feel like a normal teenager every once and a while, instead of one who saves the world all the time." Kim replied with a smile.

"I bet, want to tell me about it?" her mom asked she leaned forward with a predatory grin.

Kim laughed a bit, "Are you sure, it looks like you're busy."

"It's about time I took a break anyways, so tell me."

Kim nodded as she sat down, "Well Eric took me to a concert first, it was Gusher. We watched, we danced, we enjoyed each others company… well you get the idea." Kim smiled as her mother nodded, "Then after the concert he took me to Chez Couteaqx where…"

Kim paused while Anne looked at her daughter a bit worried, "What's wrong Kimmie?"

"Well we were interrupted by Wade who wanted to let me know that Ron left a message for me."

"So what was the message? It couldn't have been that bad if you still spent the rest of your date with Eric."

Kim's shoulders slumped a bit, "I haven't heard it yet."

The silence in the room seemed to stretch for hours before Anne Possible said something. "I guess I understand why, you did set aside this whole night for just you and Eric, and he seems to get a bit touchy whenever you talk about Ron, so I understand why, but what I don't understand is why you haven't listened to it yet."

"Well, to tell you the truth I was a bit cranky with Wade for interrupting my date and I'm a bit cranky with Ron because he could have at least had the decency to talk to me face to face, and when he does call it's for a few minutes and then just hangs up and waits a long time before calling again."

"Kim, Did you ever think that maybe he's giving you space in order to avoid giving you and Eric problems?" Anne asked as she shrugged lightly, "I mean, he was a bit overly dramatic right before the prom and just maybe this is his way of apologizing for the way he acted."

Kim's angered expression softened as she thought about it, "Maybe…"

"So maybe you should go and hear his message now?"

Kim nodded as she ran up to her room, grabbed her Kimmunicator and called Wade, "Wade, I'm back a home, go ahead and give me Ron's message."

"Oh, hold on let me get it for you… and sorry again about the date thing."

"I'm sorry about snapping at you, it's not your fault." Kim replied back in all honesty.

Wade smiled and nodded as he patched the message through, the screen changed to reveal Ron. Kim could already see small changes already occurring. His face was a bit more weathered, an occasional scratch and bruise could be seen, and a determination in his eyes that she could only remember seeing when it involved Bueno Nacho.

"Hey Kim, sorry about leaving only a message, I'm pretty sure you're going to be peeved about it. Anyway, I'm leaving a video message because I want you to see how serious I am about what I'm about to say. Kim… I'm going into an individual training, and I won't be allowed to talk to anyone until I finish. I'm not sure when I'll be done but Master Sensei tells me that it may take the rest of the summer to finish, so… you might not hear from me until I get back from Japan. Now I know you're going to be mad because I promised to call you at least once a week and this is going to real hamper that promise but," Ron's face slowly turned into something more serious, a look in which Kim definitely hadn't seen before, "This is something I have to do, I want to do, I NEED to do, so Please understand. Don't come to Japan and don't try to come to Yamanouchi Kim. I've already removed the SIM card from my cell phone, and I had the tracking chip removed." Kim looked like she was hit and had all the air taken out of her. Ron smiled a soft and gentle smile, almost apologetic, "I'm sorry Kim, but I have to go now, bye."

Kim didn't know what to think but she quickly snapped out of it, "He's going to be busy for the rest of the summer… I just hope he'll be fine."

"Do you want me to see if I can track him down, Kim?" Wade asked, surprised to see her resigned as she did.

"No, you heard Ron; it's something he has to do, so I'll just wait until my best friend comes back. Besides I can tell it's been good for him."

"I saw, I think he really has changed for the better."

Kim smiled, "Yeah, let's just hope he still the some lovable goofball after all of this."

Wade nodded and smiled before he quickly started typing. "Kim, a hit on your site, there's a reported kidnapping of a very important family and they need your help."

"Which family?" Kim asked as she moved towards her closet for her battle suit.

"A royal one." Wade told her as he kept typing. "If you can get to Middleton Park I can have you at the kidnapping site in a few hours."

"I'm on it, and Wade?"

"Yeah…"

"You Rock."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**3 Weeks Later, 2 days before classes begin…**_

Yori stood next to Master Sensei, waiting for the cave to open. This had been her routine for the past three weeks. Training, teaching, and waiting. It was only recently that Master Sensei had started to accompany her and only during twilight.

"It is almost time for Stoppable-san to return to his home, Master Sensei, yet he has not returned from this trial." Yori stated a bit of worry in her voice.

"That is true, but he can decide when he is ready to return."

"Why?" Master Sensei turned to Yori as she continued, "I do not wish to be rude, but I do not understand why it is that we are pushing Stoppable-san as hard as we are. It seems as if we have pushed him harder than the rest of the students, he's trained harder, harsher than the others and in such a small amount of time."

"That is true Yori, but that is only because there is a need."

"What need? Stoppable is brave and strong and in his own time would become the Ultimate Monkey Master, but forcing into this now seems cruel."

Master Sensei simply stood gazing into the wind, "That is true Yori, but you yourself have seen his progress, you have seen the determination he displays, and you have seen his new found skill."

Yori sighed, "Yes, but at what cost?"

Master Sensei could only nod in agreement.

The cave entrance slowly began to rumble and once more began to move revealing the entrance once more. Yori waited with excitement, but Master Sensei stood prepared for battle.

"Calm down Master Sensei." A voice rang out from the cave as Taka stepped out. His clothes were tattered and torn, "Not all is lost."

Yori began to step forward, "Taka-Sensei, where is Stoppable-san."

The young blonde slowly steeped into the light and took a deep breath. Ron was vastly different, His hair had grown longer, his face was sunken in, as if he had barely eaten this past three weeks, his gi had it's sleeves ripped of, the material now covering his fist, and he seemed a lot thinner than before.

Ron took a few more steps before a stumbled a bit. Yori was quickly by his side. "Yori… how long have I been in there? I need to go back while I still can."

"Go back where Stoppable-san?" Yori asked as she looked him over for any injuries. The signs of malnutrition obvious at close inspection, she couldn't believe the extent of some of the bruises and injuries he had suffered.

"Go back to Middleton! My parent's should be worried since I've been gone for months." Ron muttered as he struggled to move.

"Stoppable-san, calm down, you've been in the cave for only three weeks. You still have much time to return to your home." She tried to reassure him, watching as he slowly calmed down, and suddenly came to the realization, "Ron-kun, can… can you not see?"

Ron nodded as he stood on his feet, "Taka says that it's from the lack of sunlight, my eyes just got adjusted to the darkness. I don't know when I'll be able to see again."

Two set of footsteps approached, "Do not worry young one, your sight will return to you in a few hours. For now just relax, you have accomplished much."

"Will do Taka-Sensei, Yori if you don't mind can you help me go back to the school?"

Both Taka and Master Sensei watched as the two young teenagers headed towards the school. "His will is much stronger than I believed," Taka remarked as he listened to his surroundings, "He understood his darkness from the beginning and by the end of it all earned my complete respect."

"I can see it as well, but I must comment on what one of our students asked, at what cost?" Master Sensei replied.

Taka could hear the worry in his old friend's voice and decided to be truthful, "His happiness and overall well being may be the cost old friend, but it beats the alternative."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ron took a deep breath and looked out his window. The view of the school was more magnificent now than when he first arrived. Being blind for the most part of the prior day could do that to someone, but it was more than that. He loved this place, his home away from home, just as he loved the Possible's household as a second home.

He thought back at the three months of harsh workouts, the intense lessons and the mind numbing trials. Although there was a lot of pain during those three months, they also held a lot of good in them. He learned what he himself was capable of, learned that he could be depended on, and that his worst was only when he didn't try to give his best.

"They thought me more about myself than I ever hoped for…" Ron muttered as he felt Rufus scamper up on his shoulder. "They allowed be to become who I was always meant to be Rufus, and I don't know how I'll ever repay them."

"You could always stay, St- Ron-kun." A gentle voice rang out from behind him.

"I know Yori, but I told you I have a life to return to… maybe someday I'll be here permanently." Ron muttered as he turned to see Yori. "Hey, how are you holding up?"

"You don't look surprised to see me." Yori asked as she walked next to Ron and looked out the window with Ron.

"I heard you walking from the stairs." Ron answered as he looked to the sunrise. "Still I was hoping to see you before I left."

Yori smiled, "Master Sensei has told me to inform you that we are holding a small celebration for you before you leave, and you are to attend to say your good-byes to everyone."

"Oh? Alright! It's a going away party for us." Rufus nodded with agreement. Ron slowly grew a bit somber, "Thanks Yori, for everything. I don't think I could have survived this whole summer without your help."

Yori smiled and started to walk away, "Be sure to be completely packed before you go the festivity, which begins within the hour."

"Will do," Ron replied as he checked and double checked his luggage, and headed towards the festivities which were being held in his honor.

Ron spent the next hour talking, eating, and enjoying the company of his newfound friends. Ron couldn't help but enjoy himself with everyone as they congratulated him on his current success and comments and questions of his eventual return continued. Finally as the time for departure neared Master Sensei stood and the student's grew silent.

"My faithful students of Yamanouchi, today we celebrate in honor of our friend, our comrade, our brother in arms, Stoppable-san. He must return to America and to his own life, but never forget that wherever he may go he is still part of this school… still part of this family… and I am honored to say that I am proud of his accomplishments here this past season, and I invite you to return next opportunity to have young Stoppable." Master Sensei nodded towards Ron who bowed back. "I am quite confident that I speak for everyone present when I say that we are proud of you, and as a token of your accomplishment and as our gift to you, I wish to present you with this."

Master Sensei motioned to someone who opened a door to reveal Yori in a school uniform. She walked towards Ron who looked astonished at what he saw, only to be more surprised when she kissed him on the cheek and saw a flash of a camera. "What was that for?" Ron asked a bit elated and surprised.

"We can't have you return back home with nothing to show your family and friends, can we?" Yori asked with a smile. She suddenly handed Ron a small envelope and blushed a bit. "So you can remember today for time to come."

Ron smiled as he opened the envelope and pulled out a small memory card and a set of keys. Ron was surprised by both, "I get the memory card, but what's with the keys?"

Master Sensei approached and smiled, "That is for your gift that awaits you back home. Put it to good use."

Ron smiled and nodded and bowed in respect to his friends and his Sensei. "I'll always remember what I learned here, always."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N: Sorry about not being able to devide the stories scene, I originally had them devided but appearently it didn't really go with the upload and was in such a rush that I didn't bother to check, Thanks to Eddie13, I think it was, Sorry if I botched your name. Still thanks, hope you enjoy! Oh and Please Review!**

**theLon3wolf8986**


	7. The Return, The First Mission

A/N: Hey fans... if you're still there. I'm sorry about the lack of updates. A series of unfortunate events hindered me and prevented me from posting until now. Computer problems, work problems and a recent move to a new town had hindered me from posting. But thankfully they seem to be in the past. The good news about this is that I had time to write my story pretty far on paper. You will find that my chapters will get longer as we go along as well as present a few already used ideas to this story that I feel will go well with the current story. I hope to keep receiving the support and I am always happy to hear from the fans of this story. Please review and let me know what you think. As always I look forward to your comments.

Mr. Nice Guy

Chapter 7: The Return & The First Mission

The flight back from Japan was serene compared to the one he took to get to Yamanouchi. The troubled thoughts of a broken heart and low opinion of himself were now replaced with a new sense of belonging and determination.

The harsh training and lengthy lessons had served their purpose and now a different Ron came back to reconnect with family and friends. Ready to show that the man who had returned, changed for the better. As he walked out with Rufus on his shoulder, he smiled as he hugged his parents and finally felt like he was home.

"Oh Ronald, you look so different." Jeanine Stoppable pointed out as she ran her hand through his hair. "What have you been doing?"

"Your mother is right Ronald, your appearance astounds us"

Ron simply shook his head as he wore a huge grin on his face, "I just followed their curriculum, that's all. I guess I must have come into my own."

Gene nodded, "I'm proud of you son. Yamanouchi called raving on how a great student you are. They ask if you could return sometime in the future once again. I have to say if you came into your own this time going again might just do you a lot of good."

Ron picked up his luggage and followed his parents to the car. "I wouldn't mind going again."

Jeanine was concerned but decided to ask about it anyway, "Ronald why didn't you want us to call Kim? Shouldn't she come by and see you? You two haven't seen each other for three months."

"I'll see her tomorrow. Besides I want the new me to be a surprise, so no big." Ron replied with a slight shrug.

Gene noticed his son's demeanor and spoke up, "Are you sure Ronald? We could stop by the Possible's home for a quick visit."

Ron gave him a small smile, "Its' okay dad, I'm tired from the trip and if I go see Kim right now she won't let me go to sleep. She'll try to tell me everything that happened over the summer. I don't feel like going through all of that right now." Ron yawned to prove his point.

"Alright Ronald, if you think it's alright." Gene replied as he started his drive home. The family started talking about his last year of high school, what Ron planned to do, and what his new goals were when he paused for a bit before bringing in the new topic.

"Mom, Dad, speaking of plans for when I leave from high school, what are you going to do when I leave for college?" Ron waited or the reply.

His parents seemed to pause for a second before Gene spoke, "Son, we're not sure yet."

"I'm only asking because I get the feeling that you're not going to enjoy the empty nest when I leave." Ron commented as he watched for their reaction.

"We'll… figure something out." Jeanine replied as she grabbed her husband's hand. Ron smiled.

"Have you thought of maybe adopting a baby?" Ron asked innocently.

The car came to a sudden stop as both of his parents turned to look at him with a bit of shock on their faces. Ron simply looked back with an innocent smile. "What? I figured you wouldn't mind me bringing that up."

"Ronald, we can't say we haven't contemplated adopting a new baby, but we just weren't sure how you would handle it." Gene informed him, "We were already thinking of adopting a baby and telling you after it was done."

"Dad… you're kidding right? I wouldn't enjoy that." Ron replied with a look of discontent, "but at least now that I brought it up I know about it, and I have to say… I agree."

Both parents shook their heads and turned to look at their son once more. Ron was surprised by the reaction. "Mom, Dad, what's wrong?"

"Are you sure sweetie? We thought you wouldn't agree with this decision." His mom asked.

"Mom, I think it's a great idea. I would love to have a sibling." Ron answered truthfully. He then slowly smiled. "As a matter of fact, I know of a cute little baby girl that I met in Japan and she needs a family. I wanted to take care for her myself but I don't think I can so… I was hoping you would consider adopting her."

"Ronald, I think it's sweet but, we're not sure we'll be able to adopt the baby girl you're talking about." His dad commented as he started to drive again, "The paperwork could take weeks and we might not be chosen as her guardians at all."

"Oh Gene, but the thought of a baby girl is nice," Jeanine added as she looked at him, "And if Ron approves of her, it's as if we're already a family."

"Honey, I'm just being realistic. We can try to adopt the little girl, but there's no guarantee." Gene muttered as he reached their neighborhood.

"Dad… how much money do I have in my Naco royalties account?" Ron asked with a look of determination on his face.

"Ronald… Why are you asking me about that?" Gene asked a bit of worry in his voice.

"I'm just wondering if I have the money to adopt her myself." Ron replied. Gene stopped the car in their driveway and turned to look at his son. "You're actually considering adopting this baby girl yourself? Ronald you're not old enough to enlist in the army let alone raise a child by yourself. They won't even let a 17 year old adopt a baby, even if you do have the money."

"You're father is right. You're getting ahead of yourself." His mother added.

"I'm not trying to do this for myself. I'm doing this for Hanna." Ron stated as he looked at both of his parents. He grabbed his bag and pulled out a picture and gave it to his dad. The picture was Ron holding a baby girl in his arms. "Hanna is a really sweet, really smart little girl. She's just a bundle of joy and I want to give her what I have, a loving family."

Gene looked at the picture and saw the smile on his son's face. He then looked at his son in front of him and saw the hope in his eyes. He smiled and turned to see his wife smiling too.

"Okay Ronald, we'll do everything we can to get Hanna. If you want her as part of this family, then we want her as part of this family. Just keep in mind, your mother and I expect a lot of babysitting for free."

Ron smiled, "That sounds great dad." He then pulled out a folder and gave it to his father. "Here's the necessary paperwork and the contact information for Hanna. Use the money from the Naco Royalties to pay for her transportation, her medical bills, and the necessary items for Hanna. I'll go ahead and start moving my stuff to the attic. We can't have a baby girl sleeping there so she can take my room." Ron started to take his luggage to the house when his father called out.

"Ronald, if you had everything ready, why didn't you tell us?"

"Dad, this is my way of telling you." He replied with a smile. He moved towards the door and carried his luggage to the attic room when he noticed a tarp covering something in the backyard. Ron felt the key in his pocket and smiled as he headed to the backyard.

As he walked slowly towards the tarp he noticed what looked like the front wheel of a motorcycle and his eyes lit up when he smiled.

"That came for you before the weekend." His father told him as he walked up next to him. "They didn't have the keys so I don't know how you're going to turn it on."

Ron pulled out the key from his pocket and showed it to him, "Maybe this would help…"

Gene smiled and nodded towards the bike, signaling him to turn it on, as Ron moved forward to remove the tarp from the bike. He was surprised by its beauty and smiled. "THIS is a badical bike."

"We're not going to ask how you got it. We're assuming it's a gift from the Japanese school. Still, your mother and I agreed to let you use it as long as you're responsible about it."

"We also got you a little something after we saw it. I think you'll like it too." His mother called from behind him.

Ron smiled at the sight of his mom holding his gift for him.

Kim rushed as she leapt down the stairs, and started to make her way towards the door when she was stopped by her father.

"Kimmie-cub, what's the rush?"

"Sorry dad, have to go. First day of senior class you know." Kim replied as she passed through the door and then leapt on Eric's bike.

"Wait Kimmie-cub I have to… well I guess she was in a rush." Dr. Possible muttered as he went back into the house.

"You seem to be in a good mood. Are you ready to start senior year?" Eric asked as he revved the engine and started to head towards Middleton High School.

"Why wouldn't I be in a good mood? I had an awesome summer, senior year starts today, and I get to see Ron for the first time since he left for Japan." Kim answered as she tried to talk over the bikes engine. Eric soured at the mention of Ron.

_Even when he's not here he has to ruin my time with Kim…_ _can't that loser get a clue…_ Eric thought to himself, but smiled as he answered back to Kim, "Sounds great!"

Kim smiled at the thought of seeing Ron again. They had talked over the phone a couple of times, and even had the last three weeks without hearing from him, but it didn't compare to being able to see him in person. She missed her lovable goof and couldn't wait to see him and his antics. _I wonder if his personality changed at all… knowing him he'll probably be the same guy no matter how he looks like now. _

Eric slowed down as he turned into the parking lot, finally parking near the entrance where Monique was waiting for Kim.

"Kim!" she called out as she saw her friend, "YMTME!"

Kim raised her eyebrow to the comment, "What?"

Monique rolled her eyes and a smile as she hugged Kim, "You must tell me everything! I want all the details about your summer."

"Mon, you know I'll tell you everything as soon as we have a chance to discuss all of the things you did as well." Kim countered with a smile. Slowly she started to look around for a particular face. "Have you seen Ron?"

"Nah huh GF," Monique replied as she started to look for him as well, "Haven't seen that boy since JP."

Kim frowned, but as she kept looking, missing Eric's obvious frown, and let out a big sigh, "He was supposed to show up today. I know he returned yesterday, but he came in too late for me to see him…"

"Maybe he hasn't woken up from the jetlag?" Monique offered. "You know that boy loves to either eat or sleep."

As they started to discuss Ron, a biker suddenly came in and parked near them. The group stopped, with the rest of the people near the entrance, as they observed the newcomer on his bike get off and start to remove his backpack from the seat compartment.

The rider sported a black form fitting leather jacket with blue stripes down the sleeves with a white wing design on the back. His pants were heavy duty, dark blue jeans; boot cut, with side cargo pockets, and a pair of black, Doc Marten, steel-toe boots.

He was still wearing a candy red, full cover, helmet with a tinted visor. When the rider removed the helmet he revealed long blonde hair and light brown eyes with recognizable freckles.

"Hey guys! Feels good to be a senior, doesn't it?" the blonde man asked as he looked upon his friends. Rufus suddenly popped out of his cargo pocket sporting his own little helmet and leather jacket.

The group was stunned, Eric being the first one to speak. "Ron, is that you?"

"Yeah… just upgraded the whole package, you know?" He remarked back with a smile.

"You have to let me know who did the upgrading. They officially turned you into a hottie." Monique responded as she looked Ron over.

"Wow, thanks Monique. Although I don't think everyone in the school will see it like that."

"The bike alone makes you cool Ron." Monique added.

Ron gave her a puzzled look, "What this… I guess. I mean it is a cool bike." He commented as he sat down on the bike, "The Ninja ZX-14… Diablo black… this baby can go from zero to sixty in two point five seconds."

Kim was finally able to snap out of it as she approached Ron, "I'm happy to see you Ron but how were you able to afford this?"

Ron gave her a knowing smile as he stood, "I won it at the end of the summer festival at Yamanouchi. Here I have photographic evidence." Ron then pulled out a picture and handed it to Kim to show Eric and Monique.

Monique gave him a knowing smile, "Is that the girl that came by to see you last time?"

Kim looked at Ron.

"You mean the girl giving me the envelope? Yeah, that's Yori… she's just a friend." Ron answered.

"Really!" Both Monique and Kim asked at the same time.

"You guys were expecting something else?" Ron answered with a bit of fake anger in his voice. "Are we done here?"

Monique gave him a predatory smile as she closed in, "Not even close."

-Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing-

"Come on guys, we gotta go!" Ron yelled as he pulled his backpack on, and made his way into the building, the rest of the group following closely.

"You're saved by the bell this time, but I will have my answers during lunch." Monique warned Ron.

"Consider it done Monique." He answered back as he headed towards his homeroom.

As Ron walked into his homeroom with Eric and Kim he was pleasantly surprised to see most of the female population checking him out. The funniest moment was when Mr. Barkin did a double take when he saw Ron.

"Stoppable… is that really you?" Mr. Barkin asked as he tried to recognize the young man.

"The one and only Mr. B," Ron responded as he walked pass him and sat next to Felix.

"Whoa Ron, you look different." Felix commented as he bumped fist with Ron.

"I feel different. Different is good, isn't it." Ron asked his male best friend.

"I would think so, especially since you have most of the girls crushing on you with this 'different' look." Felix replied with a smirk as he spoke in a higher voice, "Our Ronny is finally growing up."

Ron and Felix laughed at the joke as the bell to begin class rang.

"Listen up PEOPLE! Now as you all know this is the start of your senior year. So I expect for you all to be the example for everyone here at the school, do I make myself clear?" Mr. Barkin barked as he looked over the class, his eyes resting upon Ron. "That goes double for you Stoppable!"

"I'll make sure to lead by example Mr. B." Ron responded coolly.

"You better Stoppable. We don't want a repeat of last year now do we?"

"No Mr. B, we do not." Ron managed to say without rolling his eyes. "There is only so much homework one man can do."

"So, what do you really think of the change?" She heard as she was placing her books into her new locker.

The question caught Kim off guard as she turned to her friend Monique. "I'm not as surprised as everyone else, I saw how he looked before, it's just his..."

"His demeanor? I noticed that too. He seems a lot more confident now than before."

Kim nodded as she kept her eyes on Monique for a bit, "He seems to have changed into a wiser version of Ron."

"That's one major change Kim" Monique pointed out. "He went from goofball to having a cool demeanor over the summer."

"He changed the way he dressed, he's a bit fitter, and that he has a cool bike now. That makes him automatically a 'hottie'… doesn't it?"

"Kim, in a scale from one to ten he went from a four to a nine in two point five seconds flat." Monique answered with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, if I didn't know who he was, I'd be after him."

Kim was surprised to hear that from Monique as she fanned herself. "Mon, you cannot be serious."

"Girl, I'd be lying if I said otherwise. Still doesn't mean I'll make any moves on him, I still see him as the goofball."

"I hope part of him that is the goofball is still in there."Kim replied as she closed her locker. "Now do you mind if we talk about this later, after we meet with the guys at lunch."

Monique shrugged at Kim, "If you say so…"

Kim wondered a bit as they both walked towards the cafeteria and started to hear laughter coming from the destination.

"Wonder what's so funny?" Kim thought out loud as she opened to the door to see Ron surrounded by a small crowd.

The blonde was the center of attention, the group laughing as he made a few jokes and comments, and he was enjoying the attention. Ron stopped as he noticed Kim and Monique and waved at them to hold on. Ron stood and looked back at the girls.

"Sorry ladies, but I have to go see a couple of friends of mine." Ron stated.

"It's okay, we would love to meet your friends too." He heard one of the girls reply as the rest nodded in agreement.

"That's not cool in my book… if you hang around me too much I'll have to start thinking you may be all clingy." He started to point out as he looked at them, "I don't like clingy."

The girls muttered their agreements and their 'see you later' as they started to scatter around. Ron smiled at the event, enjoying as the girls around him tried to gain his affection, and walked towards Kim and Monique.

"How are two of the most badical girls in school doing?" Ron asked as he sat down. Monique giggled a bit while Kim shook her head.

"Don't let the attention go to your head. So how's the day been so far?" Kim asked as she tried to move the conversation forward.

"Pretty good, pretty good… just enjoying the day, you know." Ron replied as he smiled as he looked around. "So where's Eric?"

"Oh, he'll come around. He had to talk to Barkin about something." Kim answered as she looked at the doors. "I hope he hurries up."

"So Ron, tell us about your trip this past summer?" Monique began to ask, "I want all the juicy details."

"Well… I'm not sure if I should say anything…" Ron started to say.

"Spill it."

"Well it really wasn't that much big of a deal to begin with."

"Something had to happen for the sudden change." Kim interrupted.

"Well let's just say that I realized that I should change myself if I wanted to move on with my life." Ron answered as he looked at Kim. Kim's interest was instantly peaked.

"Move on from what Ron?"Kim asked as she looked at his eyes. "You were doing pretty well as you were."

"What is that supposed to mean? You don't like the changes I made for myself?" Ron asked a bit surprised from Kim's tone of voice. "You were the one telling me to "grow up" and now you're saying you don't like it?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying… I'm just wondering why the sudden change." Kim replied in all honesty but she was slowly getting defensive over Ron's attitude.

"Why not, people change it's only natural Kim." Ron responded, "I thought you out of everyone else would understand that."

"Guys, maybe you should talk about this later," Monique interrupted as she nodded to the rest of the people in the cafeteria, "You know, where there would be more privacy."

Ron looked up and saw Eric come in, "You're right Monique. I have to go anyways… I'll see you guys later."

The girls were surprised at his retreating form as Eric sat down. "Everything okay here? Ron looked a bit upset as he left."

"Don't worry about it, he's just being Ron." Kim answered as she grasped Eric's hand. "So tell me about your day so far."

Ron was in a bit of a sour mood as he made his way to his destination, coming across the one person he didn't want to talk to at the moment, Bonnie.

"Is that you loser?" came the screeching voice as Ron tried to ignore the comment. "Trying to act cool again?"

Ron paused for a second, "No Bon Bon, just trying a new look."

Bonnie was surprised from Ron's lack of animosity but she still felt a predatory feeling to attack, "Trying to act all cool after Possible rejected you? How pathetic."

"Bonnie, grow up. People change and I'm just doing some unlike a few people I know."

Bonnie clearly did not like the barb, "Who asked a loser like you?"

"Defensive much? Some people might say it's a sign of weakness when you get defensive really quickly like that." Ron muttered as he neared his face to hers and then turned to walk away. "You do your thing, I'll do mine Bon Bon, bye."

Bonnie could only glare at him and stutter as Ron walked away. People in the halls began to talk about the incident, slowly passing the story on. Ron simply smiled as he entered the room and looked at the man he was looking for.

"Mr. B, I was hoping to sign up for football." Ron informed the man.

"You want to sign up for football; are you joking Stoppable?" Mr. Barkin asked with an incredulous look upon his face.

"No, I'm serious. I want to be a part of Varsity football."

"Varsity… you're serious." A look of disbelief clearly on his face.

Ron took a deep breath and let out a sigh, "I'm serious Mr. Barkin. I know I can do it."

Mr. Barkin rubbed his chin as he tried to think of the situation. "If you're serious about this Stoppable, it wouldn't hurt to try you out… but don't blame me if you fail miserably, okay?"

Ron gave him a smile, "I won't disappoint you Mr. B"

"Good be at the field after school. If you don't show up I'll have to assume that you're not interesting in trying out, Stoppable."

Ron smiled as he headed out to his next class. The rest of the day went without another incident as Ron's new look seemed to hit it off with the rest of the school population. Ron found that after all those years of yearning to be on top of the food chain, he no longer felt a need to be a part of it. Now he felt a sense of just being who he was. He wasn't sure if that was due to the fact that he accepted himself as a whole, or if it was because he knew that school popularity wasn't everything it was cut out to be.

As the school day ended Ron headed towards the locker rooms and got ready for the tryouts. He changed and headed towards the field, watching the rest of the students getting ready to try out for Varsity football.

Ron stretched as he waited for it to begin. The only open Varsity position was for quarterback as Brick graduated the year before. So Ron focused on stretching, relaxing his limbs and warming up his muscles, ready to show the world what he could do.

"Stoppable, Ron… up front and center!" screamed the familiar voice as he stood and placed his helmet on. "First we test your throwing capabilities. We start with distance, then accuracy, and finish with technique."

Ron nodded as he got into position and grabbed the football. When the whistle blew he took seven steps and threw the ball as far as he could. Smiling as he saw it go further than the rest.

"Nice throw Stoppable, now do it with only five steps." Barkin ordered as he blew the whistle. The next throws were similar in distance as he went from a seven step, five steps, three steps, and finally a quick throw. Barkin was pleasantly surprised at the young blonde.

"So you have a good arm Stoppable, it still doesn't make you quarterback material. Let's run the accuracy drills."

Ron ran the drills hitting nine out of ten receivers in stride, only missing the last one as he threw it a bit behind the receiver.

Barkin looked a bit surprised before he ordered the next set of drills. Ron ran bootlegs on both sides, threw shovel passes, and practiced throwing across his body.

Mr. Barkin stood gaping at the events. He had allowed Ron to tryout just to see him fail, but the sudden turn of events had him thinking state championship. He quickly caught himself and cleared his throat as he realized that Ron was actually the head candidate for the quarterback position.

"Stoppable, we only have one last drill before I make my decision."

"Which is?" Ron started to ask.

"Team drills. You work out with the offense and the defense on the field." Coach Barkin informed Ron as he pointed to the team doing the drills. "You think you can do it Stoppable?"

"Boo yah." Was Ron's reply as he moved forward on the field and started to run the offense.

As the drill continued Ron proved to be more versatile than previously thought. He led the offense with impeccable passing and decision making as he moved around avoiding pressure and sliding in and out of the pocket to make the necessary plays.

The play of the day came when Ron stepped back and rolled left as he avoiding the pressure from the pocket collapsing. As he turned to look down field he jumped to the side to avoid an incoming defensive lineman and ran to the opposite side of the field as he dodged and leapt over diving linemen trying to bring him down.

He then pumped faked to make a linebacker jump up as he ran past him and leapt over the cornerback coming to tackle him, finally running the rest of the way to score.

"Stoppable!" Barking barked as he approached Ron with a look upon his face. Ron gave him a questioning look as he approached. Mr. Barkin's face went from sour to happy as he slapped Ron on the back. "That was awesome! You are going to be Middleton High's star quarterback! Imagine the possibilities… with your throwing arm and your running ability you could be our ultimate weapon."

"Just let me know what to do, and you have me there!" Ron exclaimed as he savored the moment.

"Go hit the showers Stoppable and I'll see back here tomorrow afternoon for practice."

"Boo YAH!" Ron yelled with excitement as he walked towards the locker room when he noticed Kim and Monique talking. "Hello ladies."

"Ron, what are you doing here?" Kim responded as she saw him standing there, sweaty. "Trying out for towel boy again?"

"Ha, ha, ha, KP that's very funny. No I actually tried out for football."

"You… football?" Monique added, "Are you serious?"

"I'm serious." Ron replied, "Barkin says that I'll be Middleton High's star quarterback."

"I believe it." Kim replied as she got up and leaned next to Ron and whispered only loud enough for him to hear, "Especially since you received a summer's worth of ninja training."

Ron eye's opened and shrugged as he leaned away, "Maybe, but It would still be used for something positive. Besides it provides good practice."

"Practice for what?" Monique asked with a confused look.

Ron shook his head, "Don't worry about it Monique. I'll see both of you later."

"At fullback, Josh McNamara!" Barkin called, after introducing the line and the receivers. "At tailback, Casey Kane! And at starting quarterback, the man that will lead this team, Ron Stoppable"

The week had gone by and the student body was now celebrating with a pep rally. The school football team was playing Lowerton and the whole school was looking forward to seeing it.

Kim approached Ron as he separated from the rest of the team.

"You look great!" She exclaimed, giving him a quick hug. "I still can't believe you're the starting quarterback!"

"I had to excel at something sometime," Ron rationalized. Eric suddenly came by and gave Kim a loving embrace as he looked at Ron.

"Congratulations on your selection Ron."

"Thanks Eric," Ron replied with a smile when he heard Barkin lead the team to the field. "I better get to the field before he gets after me for being late." He paused a moment, only to shake his head and continue.

Kim didn't say anything, until Ron had finally walked out of the gym, "What was that?"

"What was what?" Eric replied a bit of surprise in his voice.

"That whole demonstration of hugging me in front of Ron."

"So you're saying I can't come and hug my girlfriend after the pep rally?"

"First of all, that's not what I was talking about and you know it, and second of all… you're jelling over Ron."

Eric rolled his eyes as he turned, "I'm not jelling, especially not over Ron." The name rolled out with a bit of disgust behind it.

"And yet every time I try to spend time with him, you seem to have a problem with it." Kim replied as she faced him. "What's going on Eric?"

"Nothing… okay, nothing is going on."

"Tell me Eric, it's the only way to fix things." Kim pleaded as she looked at his eyes.

"Alright, so I am jelling. He just seems to have that effect on me." Eric answered in all honesty. "The fact that you guys spent a lot of time together doesn't help."

"Eric, he's my friend, my Best friend. Of course I'm going to spent time with him, but that doesn't mean I don't care for you, it just means we're hanging out." Kim tried to reason. "I mean, we didn't see each other all summer so I've been trying to reconnect with him. Even though it's proving a lot more difficult than I thought."

"He's your friend, I get it, but all summer you were talking about him because you missed him, and now that he's back you're spending more time with him than with me."

"Eric, we can barely hang out with our schedules. The only times I get to talk to him has been during school and missions, and believe me we still haven't hung out much." Kim pointed out as she embraced Eric, "I was actually hoping to go out tomorrow, if you wanted to."

Eric smiled at her suggestion, "I might be able to squeeze you in."

"Well then, consider me there." Kim commented as she kissed him, "Now I have to go, cheerleaders have to get ready for the game too, you know."

"Yeah, I'll see you there." Eric replied.

"OKAY PEOPLE," Barkin's voice echoed through the Lowerton High visitor's locker room. "Get your head in the game!"

"YES SIR!" The entire team roared back. Suddenly, Casey the tailback stepped in the middle of the group as he looked around.

"Who are we?"

"MAD DOGS!"

"That's right! Tonight, every team will be asking the same question, and we are going to let them know who to look out for… so who are we?"

"MAD DOGS!"

Ron found himself joining in the yells, getting pumped up. He didn't think that he could get pumped, but there was something about being a part of something bigger. There was something about this day that had him pumped up.

"ALLRIGHT, LET'S GO!"

The team threw open the door and Ron joined the stampede onto the field. The Middleton fans cheered their team while the Lowerton fans offered a mix of polite applause and a few boos. Ron turned to the Middleton cheerleaders, smiling when he saw Kim starting the squad on a routine, and looked ahead to the field getting ready to begin.

Ron took his place as the team lined up for their pre-game warm-ups. The stadium erupted into applause as the Lowerton team swarmed onto their side of the field.

Barkin paced, getting ready for the game, pausing only to talk to certain people.

"Stoppable," he rumbled as he reached his starting quarterback. "As you know, I took a big chance by choosing you as the starting quarterback, do not make me regret my decision. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," the blonde teen responded, although Ron was showing some of his nerves.

"You're going to be okay, Stoppable?" Barkin asked. "You're not going to freeze up on me out there, are you?"

"No way Mr. B," Ron assured him. "There won't be any freezing. I'm going to do my best and not let you down coach."

"Good, that's all I ask," Barkin approved, then stalked off.

Ron concentrated on stretching himself out and trying to relax. It would all start soon.

Ron ran as he felt the pocket collapsing around him, aiming for the gap between the left guard and tackle, and rushed reaching the secondary before the linebackers reacted to his run. The free safety managed to grab him as he ran, dragging him for two more yards before the inside linebacker came in to bring Ron down.

The result was another first down and Ron quickly reached the huddle as the next play was called. The Middleton offense was scorching the Lowerton defense. They would show pass and then run, show run and then pass. The Lowerton defense was faltering quickly as Middleton took a twenty-eight point lead before the end of the third quarter.

"Doghouse 32 on two, ready!" Ron instructed as he broke the huddle and waited for the offense to set as stood in the shotgun position. Then he raised his foot once, then a second time as the tight end motioned right, "Hut, Hut!"

The center snapped the ball to him as he stepped back once and pumped faked the ball. He noticed that the safeties ignored the pump fake so he rolled to his right as he tucked the football and began to run. As he looked downfield he saw the strong safety stop and then run towards his direction, and Ron smiled, slowing down before the line of scrimmage and let loose a long deep ball into single coverage as his receiver beat the defender and stumbled into the end zone for a touchdown.

Ron raised his arms as he celebrated his fifth touchdown of the night, three passing and two running, as he racked over 300 yards by air and over a hundred yards on the ground.

Mr. Barkin, up by thirty-five after the extra-point, decided to pull the rest of his starters and give them the break they deserved.

"Stoppable, great game! You make me proud to have chosen you for quarterback."

"Thanks Coach B, just doing my part."

"You better start getting ready for next week; because Upperton's defense will know about you now and I heard they just finished clobbering East Upperton. They apparently held them to only thirty-eight yards of total offense for the entire game." Barkin informed Ron. "So I hope you feel up to the task."

"No big Mr. B, you can count on me." Ron assured Mr. Barkin.

Ron moved left, stopping when he saw no exit, and turned around to escape when he was surrounded.

"Ah, come on, this is so not cool!" Ron groaned as he fought his attackers, defeating them one by one, only to find his assailants increase in number as he continued. "No, no, no… NO!"

Ron yelled in terror as he was overwhelmed and finally devoured.

'Game Over' flashed on the screen as he slumped against the couch and dropped his controller on the coffee table.

"I told you the new "Undying Wave" feature in Zombie Mayhem III was hard, didn't I?" Felix told Ron as he grabbed another slice of pizza. "But no, the man had to experience it for himself."

"Hey, the only way I learn is by experiencing something for myself." Ron countered as he reached for the box. Rufus used his arm as a bridge to get to the pizza and began to munch on a slice. "Besides, I thought I had a good chance of making it till the end."

"Ron, I haven't even made it to the final wave, what made you think you could?" Felix asked as he took another bite.

"Secret ninja training that I got over the summer." Ron answered in a serious tone.

Felix gave him an incredulous look, "Are you serious?"

"No, not really… although I did practice a lot, so I thought I would have done better." Ron replied as he grabbed his controller again. "Not that it helped, but maybe together…"

"The odds would improve…" Felix added as he caught on what Ron was trying to say. "But it could take all night to reach it."

"I've got nothing but time buddy." Ron muttered as he focused on the screen. "I'll even get Rufus to back us up, right little buddy?"

"Yeah!"Rufus managed to squeak as he gave them a thumb up. "Let's go!

The young men and the mole rat then began their intensive assault upon the hordes of zombies in the game. They played for a while before Felix finally broke the silence.

"So… how are things between you and Kim?" Felix asked a bit wary of the answer. He noticed that Ron's mouth frowned a bit as he kept playing. "Well…"

"Nothing's going on between us Felix." Ron muttered as he dodged a zombie and decapitated another.

"That's not what you told me before the junior prom." Felix reminded Ron. "You also haven't really hung out with Kim all week."

"So, we've been both busy."

"Yeah but before this summer you would have spent the weekend with her." He countered as he countered a zombies attack. Ron's face soured a bit as his character took damage.

"Are you saying that my company isn't welcomed?" Ron asked, a bit sharp with his response. "I'll leave if you want me to."

"No, that's not what I'm saying Ron," Felix corrected as he stopped playing, "I'm just saying that you seem a bit distant from Kim, especially now that she's with Eric.

Ron stopped and stood still, considering the information for a second, and turned to Felix. He gave him a leveled look and sighed, "I'm not avoiding her if that's what you're assuming. It's just… complicated."

"Yeah, complicated!" Rufus squeaked as he jumped on Ron's shoulder and crossed his arms.

"Ron, you don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I'd be more than happy to hear you out if you do."

"Yeah…"

"So?" Felix asked with a puzzled look.

"Oh there's more to the story, but that's as much as I'm sharing for now." Ron replied as he started to bash zombies. "I didn't come here to be all touchy feely. I came here to smash some zombies!"

Felix smiled as he realized that he was dealing with things his own way, and he would be more than happy to help out. "Fine."

"And then she was all "How underclassmen of you" and she took off." Kim complained as she played with her straw, "Bonnie just gets on my nerves, and then Ron…"

"Kim, to be honest, I don't think it's the time to talk about Ron," Eric whispered as he leaned in. "Especially since we're in the middle of a date."

"I know and I'm sorry, I'm just venting."

"I know, and I'm glad that you would vent to me, but talking about Ron when I'm trying to be romantic kind of kills the mood."

Kim sighed then gave Eric a smile, "I'm sorry, I really should focus on you for the moment."

"It's cool. So what do you want to do tomorrow?" Eric asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"Barring any missions, I'm not sure."

"We could go to that exhibit at Upperton, I hear it's great." Eric suggested.

"Maybe, but I was hoping to just veg out and watch a movie at home, you know recharge the old battery before the start of school next week." Kim offered with a smile.

"Yeah, we could do that."

"We can call Ron and make it a group thing with the fam." Kim added as she took a bite from her dinner.

Eric gave her a small frown as he looked away, "You want to invite Ron? I was actually hoping we could, you know, be alone."

"Oh, well… it's just that I was hoping to see Ron before the week too. We're not going to be able to see much of each other, unless we have a mission or two." Kim explained as she gave Eric a questioning look. She didn't like where the conversation was heading. "Besides it would feel wrong to not invite him to spend time with my family as well, he's practically another Possible."

"Kim, could we maybe talk about something else."

"Why, you brought it up."

"Yeah, but you brought up Ron again." Eric replied with a somber tone. Kim gave him a frown as she crossed her arms.

"What does that mean?"

"I just think that… you know what it's silly so just forget-"

"No, finish your thought, what is it?" Kim demanded as she maintained her glare.

Eric stared at her as he shrugged, "Okay, fine. I think Ron is cool and all, but he needs to get a life of his own. You're already spending so much time with your extra currics and now you guys spend a lot of time together that sometimes I wonder..."

The surprise look on Kim's face was quickly replaced by an angry one, "I've told you already, He's my best friend. We've been friends since kindergarten and he's practically a part of the family, so of course I'll spend time with him, but that's just it! I don't have romantic feelings for Ron."

"What about his feelings for you?" Eric countered with a questioning look, "You told me that he confessed his feelings for you before the dance."

"Yes he did, but he's over it." Kim replied and felt a bit of sadness at the statement. "I think he moved on."

"Kim, I hope you're right." Eric responded with a look of hope on his face, "So let's just drop it and continue the date, alright?"

"Sure."

Kim smiled as she looked at Eric but she started to think things over in her mind. Why did she feel a bit sad at the thought of Ron not feeling something for her?

"… it's prototype boosters, the Kepler will be the fastest manmade object ever created, I guess it would be worth stealing." Dr. possible mentioned as he looked at the ship.

"And you're not worried about it getting stolen… why?" Eric asked with an inquisitive look.

They had recently received information from Wade about the breakout of Shego by Motor Ed while Kim, with Eric's help, was trying to fix a car that her father had given her. At the time she didn't think much of it since they hadn't been spotted yet, but earlier that night they received information about someone downloading information for a project her father was working on.

Using the car that the dweebs managed to fix, Kim, Eric and the tweebs, drove to the space center to warn Dr. Possible, Ron would meet them there, and were currently observing the Kepler.

"The Middleton Space Center uses the best security measures, if anyone broke in, I…"

"Would know about it?" Shego interrupted as she appeared and fired a plasma blast towards the group. Kim managed to get the people in the room down before anyone was hurt.

"Shego, shouldn't you be behind bars?" Kim scowled.

"Got an early parole… only here to say hi." She sarcastically remarked as she pressed the security button. Kim crouched and was about to leap at Shego when she was caught by the belt. The machine took her out and dangled her in mid-air.

"Hey Red, how's it shaking?" The annoying yet familiar voice asked.

"You tell me 'squirrel head'." Kim replied sarcastically.

Motor Ed stepped out and looked at Shego, "I got the goods, let's roll."

Shego leapt out of the control center and into the machine's cockpit as Kim yelled for them to put the Kebler down.

"Sorry, time to fly." Motor Ed informed Kim. "At least you are, seriously."

As Kim gave Motor Ed and Shego a look of surprise, out of the corner of her eyes she noticed something shiny coming at them, and watched as a pair of ninja throwing stars hit the console. The machine's console sparked and hissed as an electrical charge ran through them then suddenly, the claw let go of Kim and let her fall.

As she fell, she pulled her grappling gun out and fired it to the nearest platform that could support her weight and used it to swing her self safely to the ground.

"Yo, jeeze, what was that!" Motor Ed screamed as he shielded his eyes from the console. "This is seriously going to hamper my driving ability, seriously."

"I hope so, those things aren't cheap you know." The blonde muttered as they looked up.

Kim looked at the direction of the voice and noticed Ron standing there. _I would never let you down…_ she remembered as she stood_. Of course he would show up in time. I can always count on him to back me up._

"Skinny dude? Whoa dude, you look… different." Motor Ed rubbed his chin as he looked Ron over. "Like what you did with the hair, almost like you just let it be."

Shego groaned and shook her head. "Ed, just… forget it, let's go!"

"Oh no, you guys aren't going anywhere." Kim muttered as she fired her grappling gun at the cockpit. Shego smiled as she used her plasma to destroy the hook and the T-Rex machine stomped away. "Later Kimmie, we'll see you soon enough."

Shego didn't notice the other grappling hook fired by Ron towards, what Ron could only think as, the 'pelvic area' and then grab Kim and pull them to the machine. Ron then pushed Kim to the top of the main body and pulled himself over. Kim gave him a smile and jumped to the cockpit, catching both Shego and Motor Ed by surprise, "You were right, we did see each other soon enough."

Shego growled as she started to battle Kim from the cockpit. Eventually they jumped down to the main body and fought there, trading blows and trying to push the other off. Ron, on the other hand, was busy trying to remove the side panel and avoid being a part of the battle between Kim and Shego, occasionally avoiding a plasma blast or two, and finally managed the remove it when the machine started to jerk around violently.

"Yo Red, you better leave green alone, seriously!" Motor Ed threatened as he tried to buck Kim off the machine. Shego used her powers to grab a part of the hull and hold on while Kim struggled to stay on. "Green! You're ruining the paint job, seriously!"

"Shut up!" Shego screamed as she grinned. Using her hold she swung forward and landed a kick to Kim's midsection, sending her off the machine. "Later princess!"

"KIM!" Ron screamed as he tried to hold on and watched Kim fall.

"Oh and as for you sidekick."

Ron turned around and felt an intense pressure hit him on the chest sending him falling to the ground. The impact with the floor only served to further damage his chest and felt the air escape as he stopped rolling.

"Ron, are you okay?" Kim asked as she rushed to his side. Ron struggled to get on his feet but slowly managed to do so.

"Yeah… sorry K.P., they managed to get away." Ron apologized as he held his ribs. "I'll do better next time."

"Ron, you did great. They just got lucky this time." Kim tried to reassure him. She had noticed how for a moment he took charge after she thought they would get away the first time. Ron on the other hand didn't seem pleased with the praise.

"Still, I'll make sure not to fail next time."Ron simply looked at the retreating robot and clenched his fist. He would make sure to stop them, no matter what.

"… Reaches its top speed in the atmosphere, the shockwave will flatten everything in its path."

"Nice!" the dweebs exclaimed from the backseat. Eric and Kim only gave them a look from within the car.

"So you're thinking that's what Motor Ed is trying to do?" Ron asked over the speaker phone. He was on his motorcycle, waiting for the light to change, and in a conference call with Kim and Wade.

"It does sound like something he would do." Wade replied. "So you guys better keep an eye out for it."

"I agree. We should be able to cover a lot of ground if we work together." Ron then headed downtown, and focused on Main Street.

"Okay Ron, but let me know if you see something." Kim told him as she began her search.

"You got it. Ron out."

They both searched the city for any signs of the Kepler, and for an entire hour, found no trace of the ship in any way form or size. Ron decided to stay close to the expressway, what better place to go full speed than an open road, he thought to himself.

Kim was losing her patience as the dweebs kept asking for break.

"Come on, just for a little bit."

"Yeah, besides if anything happens, Ron would call us."

"Shut up dweebs. There will be no brakes or stops until we find the Kepler." Kim grated.

Eric, in a moment of boredom, looked at the rearview mirror and saw a large car speeding their way.

"Kim, could that be the Kepler?" he asked.

"What?" Kim growled as she turned and followed Eric's gaze. The Kepler came at them and passed them with unsurpassed speed. Kim turned on her Kimmunicator as she followed, "Ron, we just spotted the Kepler, it's heading downtown to the expressway."

Ron stood and looked around until he noticed something leaving a trail. "I think I see them… whoa they're really fast."

"No kidding… whoa they just… left." Kim muttered as the Kepler hit another gear and fired off its rockets. "How are we going to catch them?"

"Take us home."

"I'm not taking you guys home until we catch the Kepler."

"Not in this you're not."

"We need to supercharge the engine."

Ron smiled and shook his head as he recognized the tone in the tweeb's voice. They sounded like Kim when she was determined to do something.

"You guys do that, in the mean time I'll go ahead and see if I can't slow them down." Ron commented as he broke connection with Kim and headed towards the Kepler. "Any ideas Wade?"

"If you can somehow manage to cut the power from the feed, it will disengage the drive, causing a cascade one power drop."

Ron scrunched up his face as he tried to make sense of what he just heard. "Wade… in Ron terms, please?"

"If you cut the power, you can shut it off." Wade informed him, "But in order to do that you would have to get on it and with the increased speed, I doubt you will be able to catch them, even with your ride."

"That would be true if I was chasing it, but it's actually coming at me, giving me a chance to get on it somehow."

"You would still need a miracle in order to pull it off." Wade had a worried look on his face as he realized what Ron meant, "I seriously doubt Kim would allow you to do what I think you're going to do."

"Yeah, you're right… but Kim isn't here right now, so you'll just have to deal with it."

"I'm strongly against this Ron."

Ron smiled as he thought of Wade with a concern look on his face. "Trust me Wade, I'm not the same old Ron that you guys know. By the way did you do what I asked?"

Ron stopped and got of his bike, walking into the middle of the road, facing the oncoming Kepler. Ron reached into his back pouch and pulled out his long chain. Slowly spinning it in the air he waited for the Kepler.

"Who is that?" Motor Ed asked as he looked ahead. All she saw was a guy wearing a red helmet, sporting a black and blue leather jacket, spinning a chain. "Dude looks like he's on a mission, seriously."

"He doesn't matter, run him over." Shego told him.

"Nah uh, that would ruin the paint job, seriously."

"Just do something."

Motor Ed frowned as he grabbed the wheel and turned it slightly, causing the Kepler to swerve a bit, and avoided running over Ron. He was smiling until he heard the loud 'thunk' sound of something hitting his ride. "What the…"

The man in the helmet was being pulled by a chain attached to the Kepler. Instead of the man being thrown around and dragged on the road, he was using skates to roll with them.

Ron used his rocket skates to slowly shorten the gap to his target. He was jumping and avoiding incoming debris finally getting close enough to grab the Kepler. Pulling a pair of steel claws, the same he used to scale the cliffs back in Japan, he jumped on the speeding rocket. The steel claws allowed him to hold on without worrying of slipping.

"Ah, come on… you're ruining the paint job!" Motor Ed screamed as Ron clawed his way to the driver side. He shifted gears and took off.

"Wade, how long before Kim show's up?" Ron asked as he struggled to maintain balance with the increase of speed.

"The tweebs finished modifying the car, she should be arriving soon."

"Good, cause I'm going to need the help." Ron muttered as he jumped to the back seat and faced Shego.

"I don't know who you are, but you're going down." Shego warned as her plasma flared.

Ron raised an eyebrow inside the helmet as he tried to hold on. "You really don't know who I am?"

Shego simply swung at him as he leaned back to avoid the blow and then ducked under the following blow. His counter attack missed and barely managed to parry the following attack.

"Shego babe, get back in. I'm going to press the shiny red button!" Motor Ed cried as he reached back.

"Finally, you're starting to make sense!" Shego replied as she pulled herself back into the cockpit. Ron looked back to see a purple car following them.

"That must be Kim." Ron told himself as he reached over and grabbed Motor Ed's mullet.

"HEY! Hands off the Lion's mane, seriously!"

Kim swerved to avoid colliding with the Kepler as it lost a bit of control. "Wade, how do we stop it?"

"Ron is already on the Kepler preventing Motor Ed and Shego from activating the quantum drive." Wade informed her as he typed furiously on the keyboard. "You'll have to cut the power to the feed, causing…"

"A cascade one power drop, brilliant!" the tweebs added as they looked on. "But how will you manage it?"

"I guess that means I'll have to jump on." Kim squeezed the steering wheel ass she looked on. Ron had been managing to keep both Motor Ed and Shego busy, parrying and returning blows from both, and was a bit pre-occupied.

Ron suddenly grabbed Shego's arm and Motor Ed's mullet at once and jumped off, pulling both out of the car and into the river below as they crossed a bridge.

"Ron!" Kim and the tweebs screamed as they saw what happened. The Kepler suddenly started to slow down, without its driver or the quantum drive engaged, there was nothing to keep it going. Kim followed suit as she kept pace with the Kepler, all the while still worried about Ron, and got out of her car only when the Kepler had completely stopped.

"RON!" She rushed out and looked to the riverside to see Shego and Motor Ed coming out, but no Ron. "No… Ron."

She stopped when he came out holding his helmet in one hand and started to run towards them. Ron shook his head, forcing the water from his hair, and looked at Shego with a smug look on his face. Shego looked like she was ready to explode.

"It was YOU! Kim's sidekick… I can't believe I was shown up by the sidekick." She groaned as she clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. "I'm going to make you PAY!"

"Hey, I should be saying that. Do you have any idea, how much this leather jacket costs, and now it's ruined thanks to you two." Ron snipped back. "Not to mention the helmet. It's going to smell funky from now on."

"Yeah, you know he's right, seriously!" Motor Ed agreed. "And it's never cool to ruin a man's leather jacket."

Shego growled as she fired a blast at Motor Ed and then leapt towards Ron, swinging her right fist at his chin. Ron parried the blow and returned with a straight fist and followed it with spinning elbow when she parried. Ron leapt forward and over the leg sweep and got to his feet in time to block her incoming kick.

"You know, before I would be running from you," Ron groaned as he sidestepped another kick and grabbed Shego's leg, "But now I can't wait to beat you down!"

He got under her center of gravity and tossed her towards Motor Ed, who was barely getting up from Shego's blast, and knocked both of them out.

"And that's how the Ron-man does it."

"Ron!" Kim ran towards him and slowed down when she saw both Shego and Motor Ed sprawled on the floor unconscious. She stopped and looked over at Ron, not sure what to say.

"Hey Kim, hope you guys are okay."

"Ron… just how… what happened?" Kim asked as she tried to make sense of everything.

"I took Shego and Motor Ed down, why?"

Kim gave him a small smile as she realized how much Ron had changed. It worried her and she wasn't sure why.


	8. The Calm Before the Storm

**Mr. Nice Guy**

**Chapter 8: The Calm Before the Storm**

**AN: Well I know many people were looking forward to this chapter for a while now, so here it is, in all it's shortness glory. Still this is just the start of a much larger part of my story. Please enjoy.**

**

* * *

**

Ron stepped forward to see the Yamanouchi temple in utter destruction. He looked around to find his fellow comrades strewn across the grounds and his master fallen on the steps of his second home. "No, who could have done this?"

Ron spotted a shadowed figure and ran, chasing him through the destruction and debris, steadily overtaking his opponent when it turned and swung his right arm as red flames erupted from the ground. Ron stopped and flipped back just in time to avoid the blast, landing on his feet and getting ready to fight as the figure slowly stepped forward.

"Monkey Fist! Give it up, you're not going to get away with it." Ron screamed as the figure slowly stepped into the light. Monkey Fist simply smiled as his eyes began to glow red and lunged forward, "You really think you can stop me Stoppable!"

Ron avoided the swing as it made contact with the ground and created a crater with the force. The sudden force of the blow only served to focus Ron further as he felt the sudden rush of Mystical Monkey power flow into him and fought back. Delivering a flurry of blows that blew Monkey fist back into a wall that collapsed on top of him. Ron made his way towards him to confirm that Monkey Fist was down. He kneeled over the fallen figure and grabbed his shoulder. "Time to take you back where you belong."

The next moment caught him off guard as the figure turned and grabbed him by the throat and smiled. Ron couldn't believe what he saw, "Zor… pox…"

Ron jumped up and found himself sitting in his bed. Sweat poured down his face as he rubbed his face and turned to look at the clock. Four o'clock. Rufus quickly jumped to his shoulder and gave him a worried look. Ron smiled, "Don't worry buddy, just had a bad dream."

Ron pushed the covers off and began to get ready for his morning workout. The return back to the Middleton didn't stop his training, as Sensei put it, but merely changed the scenery around it. Ron couldn't agree more. His body had already gotten accustom to the early mornings and harsh training schedule from his summer at Yamanouchi and he felt he would be insulting everything he learned if he didn't keep his training up. So as he finished tying his shoes he quietly sneaked out of the house and began his calisthenics, followed by his Katas, and finally ending with weapons training.

Ron wiped the sweat over his eyes as he looked up at the sunrise. The rising sun produced some beautiful colors… and they slowly brought thoughts of the previous summer. The summer that had changed him for good…

Ron focused on his weapon training again as he started to practice his Bo staff techniques and used this time to clear his mind. The constant motion and the continued exertion of force simply helped calm his mind now that he was back.

He came back with hopes of showing the new him and getting quickly accepted, but what he found was that the new Ron seemed to displease the people who mattered most. Ron could feel his anger swell up for a split second as he spun the staff over his head and swung it towards a tree, shattering the staff and the bark of said tree, and stopped.

Ron was frustrated with the way Kim was acting towards him, the constant coddling and overall "Kimness" was starting to make him feel like she didn't prefer the new Ron.

Ron shook his head. Was it really that hard for people to accept that he had changed or had the potential to do more? Was it really that hard to praise him for making an actual effort in making himself better? He wasn't sure.

Ron was different now, no longer the clueless buffoon that only ran around avoiding the bad guys, he was now a force to be reckoned with. The years he had spent following Kim and helping her in all her missions had given the ability to do what Kim was capable of doing, even if he was too scared most of the time to do so. He knew how to do everything she could do, and even better yet what she would think of doing in certain situations. Sure he did lose his pants every once in a while… okay all the time, but that still didn't mean he wasn't capable.

Ron sighed, how could he prove to everyone that he was capable of doing more, that he wanted to do more…that he wanted to make a difference? He wasn't sure but he knew that the first person he needed to prove himself was to Kim. He needed to step up and prove that he could be relied upon more.

Ron took a deep breath as he walked away from the tree and thought back at the previous week. The few missions that they had gone to had gone with little problems, especially now that Ron was helping out in an active manner. But the actions he thought would bring praises only brought criticism and Ron found out with each new mission how Kim saw his new found pro-activeness. She wasn't happy.

Thus providing for today's frustration and needed help. He sat down and started to meditate on himself, his surroundings and finally, the person he wished to speak to.

"What a pleasant surprise, young one." The old yet wise voice called out.

"I figured it would surprise you, Sensei." Ron smiled as he saw his master in his minds eye.

"And for what reason do I owe this visit?" Sensei asked with a knowing look, "Does it have to do with your current emotional state?"

"Uh… you mean my current bout of frustration?"Ron asked with a bit of a shocked look, "Yeah… how did…"

"You forget, your bonding with the Mystical Monkey Power allows me to feel your presence and your emotional condition… to some extent." Sensei replied. "I believe that since you are feeling this way since you just return that it must deal with your sudden change."

Ron smiled, "Yes, and I would like your wisdom on the matter."

Sensei nodded and gave him a sincere look, "Change is necessary, as I have told you, but it would also take time for others to acknowledge your changes."

"I guess you're right… it's just- I'm frustrated to the point where I'm having nightmares… really vivid, recurring nightmares…" Ron muttered as he slumped.

Sensei's interest seemed to peak as he remained composed, "Tell me about your nightmares… remember that sharing such a burden will often times alleviate such frustrations."

Ron was surprised by the comment but started to describe his nightmare, "…and that's when I wake up."

Sensei smiled, "It is quite simple to interpret your dream. You feel like you are your own enemy now because you feel that you changed for the worst. Do not worry yourself, and realize that it will take time for others to accept the new you."

Ron nodded, "You're right Sensei, thanks."

"I hope your situation gets better soon, Stoppable-san. Oh, and be sure to expect Hanna real soon."

"I will. Bye"

As Ron's projection disappeared Sensei turned and muttered something under his breath and waited for a while. Suddenly a figure appeared from the shadows.

"You called?"

"Yes Taka, I believe it's time we made our move." Sensei informed him. "Things are in motion."

* * *

Run slowed down his pace as he tried to cool down his muscles, to avoid the cramping and soreness later, and took some deep breaths to slow down his heart rate. He had been training nearly non-stop all morning long. His recent success on the missions and on the field had him elated, but he knew that he could only remain on top with constant practice.

"I see you're still up to your new tricks."

Ron turned around and found Kim with her arms behind her and smiling. Ron raised an eyebrow as he turned.

"Kim, what are you doing here?" Ron looked at her, a bit unsurprised and as wary of the situation.

"You're not happy to see me?" Kim looked a bit unhappy but tried to hide her sadness as he looked at her.

"No, I was just… surprised. That's all. What brings you to my neck of the woods?" Ron replied back as he wiped the sweat out of his eyes. He could see the sun shine of Kim's features and he inwardly sighed again.

"I just wanted to hang out since we've really haven't seen each other much besides missions, you know?" Kim responded as she started to look him over. She caught more of his features now that he wasn't wearing much besides his workout clothes. His eyes seemed a bit indifferent to her but she could still feel the warmth from them as she always believed. "Plus, I was wondering how you're training was coming along."

Ron nodded, "It's coming along… hopefully I'll be in par with you soon."

Kim smiled, "That's good… now if only we could get you to stop being so reckless."

Ron's eyebrow twitched when he heard that and was about to say something but thought against it, "Kim…"

"Ron I'm serious. You're letting your new found skills go to your head." Kim stated as she kept her eyes on him. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Kim I can handle it… I've been going on these missions with you and you never once worried about me getting hurt."

Kim's face hardened as she tried to make sense of what he was trying to say, "So that makes it alright for you to just throw your health and safety away?" Kim shook her head, "You seem to think you can handle anything now that you've come back from Yamanouchi but that's not the case."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Beep-beep-be-beep

"Hey guys! W-… is everything okay?" Wade asked as he tried to decipher what was going on. It was a few seconds before Kim spoke.

"Yeah everything is okay, what's going on?"

"Well the only major thing is that someone busted Shego out."

"And Drakken?" Kim added.

"No, just Shego."

"Again? What is with that?" Ron commented as he approached.

"I don't know, but I'm trying to figure that out." Wade responded when he suddenly ducked and a piece of medal flew over his head.

Kim and Ron both raised their eyebrow at the sight but Kim was the first to ask, "Wade… what was that?"

"Um… nothing, just a little side project of mine. I've had some extra time on my hands thanks to last week's quick captures; I figured I would try an invention that's been nagging me for some time now."

"Oh cool, what is it?" Ron immediately asked. "Can we see it?"

"No… it's not ready, and I won't say a peep until it's done." Wade replied as he got back to his seat. "I'll keep looking, later guys."

"I wonder what he's working on" Ron muttered as he rubbed his chin.

"I don't know, but it is weird for him to be so secretive about this."

"Yeah…" Ron replied and rubbed the back of his neck, "Kim… I got to go."

"Go where?" Kim asked a bit worried.

"My job…" Ron replied back, "I start today in an hour so I better get ready."

"Wait you have a job… since when?" Kim asked incredulous.

"A couple of day ago, I'll be working for a bakery on the weekends." Ron answered, "Does that surprise you?"

"I'd be lying if I said no… I'll see you around… I guess." Kim muttered.

Ron nodded and started to jog away, leaving Kim wondering just what had happened.

* * *

"And he calmly just left to his new job... I'm just not sure what to think about it." Kim grumbled as she spoke to Monique in the food court, "What do you think?"

"I THINK you're taking this whole thing too personal. So he's starting to help out more in the missions, so what if he finally has a job… the goofball is finally starting to act like an adult, and maybe it's time you starting thinking more like him."

"Me! Start thinking like Ron? What do you mean by that?" Kim asked a bit forceful.

Monique groaned inwardly, "I mean that you're the one with the boyfriend, you're the one with all the activities, and you're the one that drags him to all your save the world missions… Ron starting to assert his independence was bound to happen sooner or later. Is that such a bad thing?"

"First of all I'm not against him being independent; I'm just worried that he's biting off more than he can chew. Second, just because I have a boyfriend doesn't mean I can't care about my best friend."

"Yeah, but your actions are starting to make me wonder if you care for Ron more than you're letting on."

"WHAT! I like Ron, but I don't LIKE like him…" Kim trailed off.

"Okay, okay… let's… uh, talk about a job." Monique could see Kim be interested for a split second. "How would you like to work for Club Banana?"

"I don't-"

"Fifteen percent discount for employees…"

"When can I start?"

* * *

Ron returned to find the living room and kitchen empty but simply shrugged it off and called out, "I'm home from work."

"Ron! Come upstairs, we have a surprise!" Jean Stoppable called out.

"Coming!" Ron replied as he starting climbing the stairs with a smile on his face, he could already tell what the surprise was as he made his way to his old room to find his parents holding someone in their arms. "Hanna" he called out.

"That's right Ronald, and I must say that you were right, she is the smarted and sweetest child we have met." The elder male Stoppable commented with a smile.

"Yeah… wait a minute, that group includes me!" Ron cried out with a false disbelief, "I'll have you know mom said I was one of the sweetest children of the neighborhood."

"Hanna has you beat." Jean added.

The Stoppables laughed together as Ron motioned if he could carry the baby girl. As he placed her in his arms she immediately cooed and relaxed, as if she remembered his warmth. Ron slowly rocked the baby girl with a small smile in his face.

"You really care for her, don't you?" His father asked with a smile.

"Like you care for me dad… but I guess I'll settle on just being her big brother." Ron replied as Rufus hopped on to his shoulder and squeaked in delight over the sight.

"I know you'll be a great big brother Ron, you're kind and gentle… just what she needs." His mother smiled as she took Hanna back.

"Yeah, I guess I better take a shower, just got out of work you know."

"Ronald, make it quick, we're going out to celebrate this new bundle of joy!" Eugene called out to his son.

"Will do dad, will do."

* * *

"So… San Francisco… heh… where do we park?" Ron asked as he kept driving around the streets. They had been informed by Wade of Shego's and Junior's possible target and instantly made their way to the possible target. "I mean seriously you would think with this many streets they would have a place for people to park."

"Just keep driving Ron. We need to catch up with Junior and Shego."

"I know, just trying to make a bit of conversation… HEY there they are!" Ron called out as he spotted their targets. Ron instantly pressed the gas and moved to block Junior's car from going forward. Kim quickly jumped out and headed for the already seething Shego.

"How the hell did they find us!" Shego screamed as her hands surged with power and charged at Kim.

"It's not that hard, you're getting predictable." Kim called back as she avoided Shego's initial attack and returned a couple of her own.

Ron ran towards Shego to try and help but was stopped by Junior, "You blond boy… you look familiar… you're that Ron Stoppable boy."

"Yes Junior, now if you don't mind I have to help Kim fight…" Ron started to say when he saw Junior begin to laugh.

"You help her fight? You are surely kidding, aren't you?" Junior asked as he grabbed Ron's shoulder. Ron simply raised an eyebrow.

"Remember that time you and Shego tried to steal the cookie recipe and you had new moves?" Ron asked as Junior's face twisted in thought, "Well, I have new moves too." Ron grabbed his wrist and twisted, pulling him over his shoulder and tossed him. Junior landed with a hard thud and a low groan

"Kim I got your back!" Ron yelled as he flanked Shego and both of them faced her off.

"Give it up Shego, you're not getting away." Kim called out. "You might as well give up."

Shego was furious, "Not before I take some revenge!" She lunged forward and tackled Kim. As she raised her hand ready to deliver a final blow a silver chain wrapped around her arm and held it back. Shego's eyes suddenly glowed with fury as she looked at Ron. "YOU!"

Ron was surprised with the speed of Shego's next attack as he raised the chain for defense only to have Shego break them. Ron avoided the following right and expected Shego to come back with her left only to feel her claws rip some gashes on his right side. The searing pain was what kept his mind clear as threw a sideways kick to keep Shego from following with her attack.

Kim quickly threw a roundhouse kick to the side of Shego's head that sent her flying towards the brick wall. "And stay down."

Kim, after confirming that Shego was down, quickly headed to Ron to look him over. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah… the wound is cauterized, so no need to worry so much. It was a shallow wound anyways." Ron responded as he pulled out a small first aid kit from the car. "Did you call Wade?"

"Ron, you could've gotten seriously hurt there." Kim called out in disbelief. "You're acting like nothing happened."

"Nothing did happen."

"You almost got killed!" Kim corrected him, "That is not 'nothing' Ron."

"I would have done that even before Japan." Ron muttered, "And what about you, she had you."

"I was about to do something."

Ron rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded like 'double standards' as he put his shirt back on. "You obviously have this covered, I'm heading back home."

"Where are you going, we're not done here." Kim called out.

"I am." Ron called out as he walked away and pulled out his cell phone, "Wade, Ron, we caught Shego and Junior, Kim is going to need the authorities to meet her at her location. I'm going to need a ride."

"What? Why?" Wade asked a sound of disbelief in his voice.

"I just need some space… and let's just leave it at that…"

* * *

"He had no right to just leave like that." Kim commented as she drove back.

Wade nodded, "You're right, but you didn't have to treat him like a kid, heck I don't get treated as a kid."

"Is it wrong for me to worry about him?" Kim asked. "I'm being a good friend and he's out there getting in danger."

"Yeah, just like a girl I know…" Wade commented with a hint of sarcasm. "I mean from whom would he have ever learned that from?"

"Wade, sarcasm doesn't suit you." Kim replied with an icy tone.

"Okay, okay, sorry about that. I just think you guys should really talk about this." Wade replied, "But I have to agree, this is a double standard Kim."

Kim stayed quiet for a bit before speaking again. "I know."

"Okay, well I have to go and test my project out, bye."

Kim drove in silence before she felt some of her anger abate and allowed her think of something else. She tapped the button for the phone, dialed, and waited for an answer.

"Hey, I want to talk… is it okay?"

* * *

Wade double checked his work as he looked over his circuitry and settings. "That should do it. That should complete my time machine."

Wade smiled as he saw the fruition of his labor. The vivid dreams of a talking mole rat, conversations of time cooties, and something about a time monkey, had giving him the inspiration to build the machine. It felt like a long time since he had time to build a theoretical machine like this, especially given that maintaining the Kim Possible website was a fulltime job, but with the recent abundance of free time he found it a refreshing change of pace.

Still he didn't feel right leaving the situation between Kim and Ron alone. He firmed his determination as he instead thought of the benefits humanity would benefit from his machine. Wade turned on his camera as he documented his exploit.

"As you can see the machine has been built and everything seems to be in the green. We will begin testing by going forward one minute in time. Hopefully my calculations are right and this will work, resulting in a new age for humanity." Wade turned the machine on and waited for the slight hum that signaled it was working, "So far so good. Now here goes."

Wade pressed the activation button and watched as the machine began to glow, "Its working!"

The sudden surge of energy and the sudden flash of light surprised Wade as he closed his eyes and felt himself pulled forward. Wade rubbed his eyes as he tried to recover from the flash began to look around. The area was full of destruction and the houses were mostly demolished.

"I don't think I'm in Middleton anymore."

* * *

**As you can see this is actually pretty short, and it took me quite a while to finish writing (definitely not my best work) but this is just a precursor to a much larger chapter to this story. Please be patient and I promise not to disappoint. Look forward to hearing from me real soon. Later guys!**


	9. The Storm that Brews

A/N: Hey everyone, must say its a joy writing this story again. I finally have time to do so and it feels good. This is where the story gets a bit dark, you got to understand that hings aren't going their way and it will just continue to go downhill from here. I was actually thinking of raising the rating of this from K+ to T but I'll wait for a while before doing so. I hope you enjoy this one, and if you do have concerns or questions just be aware that many of them will be answered, but I would still like to hear from you all. Please review.

**Mr. Nice Guy**

**Chapter 9: The Storm that Brews  
**

Wade walked forward as he watched his surroundings, noticing as the buildings around him started to look familiar, and stopped as he noticed the scene in front of him.

"Mom…" Wade called out as he ran into the lot of the rundown home, the walls in disrepair, the floor breaking from the stress, and the building empty of any signs of life. Wade looked around his home, his former home; he couldn't imagine anyone still living in the house, for any signs of what had happened there. The only evidence of anything happening was a giant gaping hole in the roof, with singe marks around the edges.

"What did that?" Wade asked out loud as he stepped into his former room. It was obvious that his room had been looted long ago, but he still held hope that he could find some kind of answer.

"This is definitely my room, so I'm in Middleton for sure…" Wade quickly brought his machine in front of him, "Then the question becomes when. It worked… so when is this?"

The machine refused to work, an indication of his current luck Wade surmised, and thus began the task of searching for tools. Upon finding nothing that would help him he decided to continue his search elsewhere.

The following hour only served to scare Wade further, every house he came upon he noticed signs of an attack, signs that were becoming more evident as he approached his destination. He stopped and froze as he saw the condition surrounding it.

The grounds were filled with craters; the driveway held a molten car, and the house was completely obliterated from the ground up.

The home of the Kim Possible was completely destroyed.

"What the… how did this happen?" Wade muttered to himself in disbelief.

The loud hydraulic sound caught his attention as he turned to find a large mechanical creature peer at him. The machine simply glared at him, eyes glowing as it moved forward towards him. The large machine resembled a half centaur/half giant crab with a single large optical camera as a head. Wade started to step back as the machine began to get closer, soon followed by him running as fast as he could as he tried to run away from his pursuer.

Wade could feel the ground shake and the sound of large thumps follow him as he turned the corner and began to run for his life. He fought the urge to turn and look back knowing that the simple act would only serve to slow him down before he heard two explosions from behind him.

The loud sounds made him jump for a split second before he stumbled to the ground and cringed from the fall. He quickly turned to see what had caused it when he saw the large robot falling to the side. The machine struggled to return in an upright position as two more explosions knocked a wall of a nearby building over it.

"We have a civilian in the sector; we need to clear him out before more Walkers appear." A female voice called out. Wade wasn't sure who it was that was currently battling the giant robot, but they were okay in his books. He watched as two men came to him and he quickly recognized the uniforms, "You're both from Global Justice." Wade quickly commented, "You guys can tell me what's going on."

"Not right now kid, we need to get you out of the warzone." One of them replied quickly as he raised his weapon and took aim at the recovering robot. "The Walker is getting back up let's get him out of here, now!"

The other agent firmly grabbed Wade and started to pull him away before Wade began to struggle, "My machine, we can't leave it behin-"

The next thing he knew a large explosion behind them caused all three to quickly hit the ground. The building besides them had been completely destroyed.

"Reinforcements, we need to EVAC, now!" The female voice called out again as she rushed towards Wade and grabbed him, pulling him forward by force.

"No, wait, my machine!" Wade called out as he turned only to see a Walker robot crush it under its foot.

"Forget about it! It's not worth your life." She chastised him as she pulled him behind a wall and motioned for the rest towards cover. Wade was about to reply when she motioned for him to be quite.

They waited for a few seconds before she pulled out a small device, flipped a switch, and pulled the trigger. A series of explosions rang behind them, followed by a series of loud pieces of metal groaning.

"That should buy us some time. What in god's green earth were… you…" She started to say before she froze. Wade looked at her, the first time he had a good chance to do so, and noticed that her uniform was clearly not standard issue. Her cargo pants were well fitting, yet held a flare of style, and her top had been altered to match the stylish flare. Her face was covered by a helmet and large tinted goggles, but something about her face seemed familiar.

"Monique?" Wade asked with a hint of disbelief. Monique for her part only seemed to be still until Wade's question snapped her out of whatever trance she was in. She quickly pulled out her weapon and pointed it at Wade.

"Who are you! You can't be Wade." She asked with a hint of anger in her voice.

The rest of the crew upon seeing and hearing Monique quickly raised their weapons to match hers. Wade quickly raised his hands and looked around. "Monique it's me Wade, I… well… it's a long story but the short version is I time traveled here."

"That's impossible, so I'm only going to ask you one more time, who are YOU!" She asked a growl clearly evident in her voice. Wade could only give her a pleading look.

"Ma'am, we could use James new device to verify. If he's a shifter he'll be exposed and we could capture him, and if he's not…" The agent let the sentence hang.

Monique narrowed her eyes before she nodded. The agent slowly moved forward and pulled out a small device that looked awfully similar to the Kimmunicator, as Wade noticed, and he felt a slight electrical spark flow through him.

"He's clean… he's not a shifter."

"That's what I've been saying," Wade groaned as he tried to take a step forward but was quickly stopped by Monique again.

"Run a DNA scan." She ordered.

The agent stood quite for a split second before he responded, "Excuse me Ma'am?"

"Run a DNA scan, I want to make sure it's him… if it is him." Monique replied.

The agent nodded and ran a different scan, "Scanner confirms it, he's Wade Load."

At that moment Monique quickly lowered her weapon and hugged Wade.

"Whoa! Monique what…" Wade started to say but stopped as he felt her body shake.

"It's really you…" Monique muttered as she composed herself and pulled away, "We have to take you back to headquarters, and let Kim know."

The agent that scanned him stepped forward, "Wow, it's great to meet the great Wade Load, name is Oscar."

Wade was flustered but shook the agents extended hand, "Thanks Oscar."

Monique cleared her throat motioned for them and the rest of the team to be quiet as they headed back.

The silence was palpable, capable of convene the severity of the situation to Wade, and they moved with quick precision and subtlety. They traveled for what seemed like an hour before Monique motioned for the group to stop. She approached a dumpster and seemed to do something before motioning for the rest of the group to approach, and motioned them to enter an uncovered manhole.

Wade watched with curiosity as the group moved quickly one by one and felt someone push him from behind before he could brace himself for the fall.

His eyes closed he waited for the hard surface to make contract with his body but never felt a thing. As he opened his eyes he noticed he was simply standing down a long corridor. The rest of the group was chuckling a bit before Monique gave them all a stern look that quieted them.

"You were never going to fall Wade, anti-gravity plate, it allows you to make a fall of over twenty feet seem like you're only stepping down a step." Monique informed him as she motioned for him to walk next to her. "You're probably wondering what's going on, aren't you?"

"To say the least," Wade answered as they were stopped by a group of Global Justice agents.

"We need to scan all of you," One of the agents commented before he noticed Wade. The sudden realization had the same reaction that Monique first had. The group quickly raised their weapons toward Wade as Monique quickly moved to shield him.

"He's clean, we checked him already." She informed them as they refused to lower their weapons. "Lower your weapons."

"You know better than that Monique," a voice rang out, "You have your orders, and I have mine."

Monique's face quickly changed from determined to venomous, "Could you tell them to lower their weapons, Michael."

A tall blond man stepped forward, "You know I can't do that Monique, standard protocol. A new protocol was actually placed as well; we scan everyone who comes in, including teams."

"You're just trying to give us a hard time."

"I swear to you I'm not…" Michael replied as his gray eyes met with Monique's brown. "You would be glad to know we discovered a new more efficient way of revealing shape-shifters."

Michael motioned to someone. A sudden influx of harmonic waves hit the team, making Wade dizzy, and stopped just as soon as it had started. Wade turned to see the agent that had vouched for him, Oscar, suddenly begin to stumble back. His face and physique in constant flux as he struggled to maintain his form, his howls of pain quickly filling the corridor, and finally stopped when he collapsed to the floor.

"As you can see, you had a shifter among you." Michael stated as a matter of fact as he moved forward and motioned for his team to the shifter. He looked towards one of them, "Make sure he's ready and my tools prepped for his interrogation." Michael then turned to look at Wade, "Now about this one…"

"I'll take care of him Michael, and if you dare to get close to him…" Monique growled as she was the only one of the group who was standing straight.

"Okay," Michael replied with a smile before he turned and headed towards the direction where they had taken the shape-shifter. "I'll see you around, Monique…"

Wade could barely feel his legs when Monique extended her hand to help him get to his feet. Her eyes were cold, but Wade thought he could see a hint of sadness behind them. Wade wasn't sure why, but he felt that things were a lot worse than he thought they were.

"Come on Wade, we have to see Kim." Monique told him. She then turned back to what was left of her team. "I want you all to make a report, I want to know how and when Oscar could have been replaced… and I wanted it yesterday."

The group nodded and headed to an opposite direction. Monique turned back and looked at Wade directly in his eyes, "Like I was saying you must have a lot of questions."

Monique started walking and motioned for him to follow, "I can only say that I can only answer so much because I only know so much."

Wade nodded in understanding, "First thing I want to know is how long."

Monique gave him a puzzled look as she stopped and began to press a few buttons on the keypad on the wall, "How long?"

Wade nodded as the door opened and let them inside a large room, "How long have I been gone?"

"You've been gone for fifteen years." A voice rang out in front of him. Wade watched as the person with red hair and his battle suit turned to look at him. "Fifteen long years, Wade."

"Kim…" Wade muttered. The bubbly and happy teenager he knew was now replaced by a hardened warrior. Her long red hair was now cropped short, a large scar right over her left eye, and her once happy, go get them personality was now replaced with a cold, determined demeanor.

"I didn't think I would ever see you again Wade, but I have to say I'm glad I have." Kim stated as she stepped forward and smiled. Wade could easily tell it wasn't one of her genuine ones. "But how did you end up here?"

"Would you believe me if I said that I time traveled here?" Wade asked with a curious smile.

"I'm sorry, but I find that hard to believe." Kim replied but paused for a few seconds before continuing, "But weirder things have happened."

"I think the charge capacitors overloaded and instead sent me further into the future to prevent an explosion." Wade hypothesized as he tried to recall what could have happened. "Still, what's going on here?"

"Drakken" Kim simply stated.

"Drakken? He took over… how?" Wade asked in complete disbelief. "How did he manage to beat you and Ron… Ron!"

Wade turned to look around the room, "Where's Ron?"

Kim made a look of disgust and Monique had a look of discomfort.

"Is he… did he-"

"No," Kim growled, "We just haven't spoken in close to nine years."

Wade was shocked, "Nine years? Why? How?" Wade still couldn't believe, "Start at the beginning."

"The beginning?" Kim asked with a worried look, and then turned to look at a distance.

* * *

"I still don't get it, who would help Drakken escape from prison?" Kim asked with a disgruntled tone of voice. "And what's worse I can't seem to find him."

"Is it okay to be talking to me," Eric asked. "Isn't this something you should be talking with Ron?"

"Ron and I are… not in speaking terms as of right now," Kim muttered, "It's like you said, he's acting immature and letting his inhibitions get the better of him."

"I did tell you it would be a matter of time before he would think he could take on the superhero business better than you." Eric replied as he reached over and grabbed her hand, caressing the back of her hand as a sign of comfort. "Have you heard anything from Wade?"

Kim only gave him a sad look, "There hasn't been a sign of Wade, and he has been missing now for a whole week." Kim forced her eyes shut and fought to fight back tears, "Everything seems to be messed up right now."

"Cheer up Kim, you still have me." Eric commented with a helpful smile.

"Thanks I needed that." Kim replied with a smile before she spotted Ron outside motioning for her to come out. "It's Ron."

"What?"

Kim saw him motioning for her to head towards him.

"I'll be right back," Kim told him before he could respond.

She headed outside where Ron approached her, "I think I know where Wade is."

Kim's eyes lid up, "Where, we need go and get him back before something happens to him."

Ron shook his head, "It's not that simple Kim because I think he time traveled."

Kim simply stood there with a look of disgust and disbelief on her face, "Ron, not this again."

"Kim, hear me out." Ron called out as she turned to leave, "The fact that he was creating a machine that would change the world, plus the notes and notations we found in his notebook point out to him trying to travel through time."

"RON!" Kim yelled, "We went through this already, just because he was trying to figure out a way to travel through time, doesn't mean he actually achieved it. Everything in his room was fried, and besides the scorch marks in her room and the large flash that Mrs. Load said she saw it's evident that someone took Wade."

"What about the video?" Ron asked, "The video that was left on the scene."

"Ron the video recorder was fried like the rest of the electronics that we found in the room."

"Yes, but we still managed to save some of the footage on it." Ron replied.

"Who's we?" Kim assked.

"Ron from class." Ron commented. "Here, just look." He suddenly pulled out an iPod and handed the earphones to her.

Kim frowned for a bit before giving in and grabbing them. She watched as he hazy and grainy film played and showed Wade talking about his invention. He started talking about testing it out before it was completely filled with static and had sudden burst of image of Wade saying something and a large flash.

Kim looked at Ron as he looked expectantly, "So?"

"Ron, this still doesn't prove anything," Kim could see the look of pain in his face, "But I think you may be on to something."

Ron gave her a small smile, "So you believe me?"

"Of course, you're my friend." Kim replied with a smile.

* * *

"That was-"

"Sorry to interrupt Director Possible, but we need you to come to the War room, Michael has some new information that you may be interested in." The agent commented.

Kim nodded, "Thank you, Monique can you show Wade to the common room? Take a break and keep Wade company until I come back."

"Will do, Director." Monique replied with a smile.

Monique and Wade watched her leave and then headed down the hall and up the elevator to another floor where they went through another series of corridors to find a large auditorium filled with beds, tables, and a food line.

"Welcome to the common room," Monique muttered as she pointed towards a table, "Take a seat, I'll be right back."

Wade nodded, he got to the table and took a seat, looking around and amazed once again at the scene in front of him. People were sleeping, yet others were playing cards, and others were shooting billiards.

"Here, it's not coffee, but its' close enough." Monique commented as she took a sip. "Hard to believe Ron isn't here and things are they way they are now, huh?"

"By the way Kim made it sound, they were starting to make amends, weren't they?" Wade asked.

"They were, but that wasn't the reason they no longer speak." Monique replied. "It's not my place, but I think you deserve to hear more of the story, more specifically how this," Here Monique motioned to everything, "Started. It happened a couple of weeks from where Kim began her story…"

* * *

"So you and Ron are best buddies again?" Monique asked with a smile.

Kim returned it, "No, but we're getting there. He's been too busy lately to start Kim and Ron night again, you know with his new sister and all, but we'll get there."

"That sounds great," Monique replied, "So how's the BF taking it?"

"Eric is okay with it, he knows that since Wade's been gone, I needed a friend I could rely on." Kim sighed, "Plus it's easier for Team Possible to help people if it is a team and not just me."

Monique nodded, she was glad that they were talking again, especially because she felt that they made a cute couple… in theory.

"Speaking of which how is saving the world without your tech guru going?"

"Pretty hard, but at least we have Global Justice helping us. They're tracking Drakken for us, especially because his silence is getting me worried. Dr. Drakken doesn't usually remain this quiet, and with the recent break out of Shego, it has me even more worried." Kim looked through their inventory as they continued to set up the display at Club Banana. "Still no news is-"

-Wreeeeeeeeen Wreeeeeeeeeeeeen-

"What's that?" Monique asked as she cringed from the sound.

"That's the city wide emergency alarm," Kim replied with a look of confusion on her face, "They use it to signal a tornado or other catastrophic event…"

The sound of explosions outside of the mall caught her attention, "Like a city wide attack!"

Monique followed Kim outside of the store to see large mechanical creatures attacking the parking lot.

"Kim, is that?"

"Drakken! Monique, get away from here as far as you can, GO!" Kim told her as she started to head towards her locker to gather her battle gear. As she opened her locker she dialed Ron and was surprised when she got an immediate response.

"It's Drakken!" Ron called out, "He's using his Diablo strategy again."

"He's attacking downtown, we need to help out everyone we can escape these things." Kim instructed as she finished changing and headed out the door towards the first mechanical creature. They were a mix of the old Diablo Robot but had some weird legs like an arachnid. The parking lot was chaos, cars were on fire and people were running away in fear and panic. "How soon can you make it?"

"Give me a few and I'll be there."

"Hurry," Kim responded as she put the Kimmunicator away and began to instruct people where to escape to. One of the Diablo Walkers spotted hear and they all seemed to mimic the first one's response.

Kim noticed that and used it to her advantage, "You want me, come and get me!"

Using her rocket skates she made her way towards them, trying to keep them away from the mall, and focused on avoiding the incoming plasma blasts. She weaved and leaped through the remaining cars in the parking lot as she headed towards the edge of the city.

The situation got worse as one of the walkers picked up a semi-truck and tossed it ahead of her, forcing her to veer in order to avoid crashing into it, and cause her to stumble to the ground. The Diablo Walker was nearly on top of her when she heard the loud engine of a motorcycle and the sudden appearance or Ron swinging a chain like a lasso over his head.

The chain flew from his hands and wrapped around one of the Diablo Walker's plasma cannon and he pulled with the combined help of his MMP and his Bike, so that it would fire upon its' brethren. The following blast managed to destroy one of them.

Ron quickly followed as he swung with the chain, landed on top of the machine, pulled out a sword, and stabbed it. He quickly jumped off as the machine began to surge with energy and its' head explode.

"Kim!" Ron cried as he rushed towards her, "Where's your battle suit?"

"It's at home," Kim replied as he leaped forward and pushed Ron out of the way of a plasma blasts, "We need to take care of these first."

Ron rolled to his feet and nodded in agreement, "Where's Global Justice, aren't they suppose to help us out with situations like these?"

Kim weaved between blasts as she pulled out her hairdryer, fired, and swung to the top of one of the Walkers. "I don't know, but they haven't even called about this!" Kim yelled.

"Figures," Ron screamed as he lunged forward, transformed his sword to a Japanese naginata, and sliced the underbelly of another Walker causing it to collapse. "I guess we're on our own."

Ron transformed his naginata into an iron tetsubo and swung, smashing the legs from another one. Kim used the machines own aggression and her agility to have them fire on each other as she leapt from one to another and caused another to smash its' own head.

"That's the last one here," Kim informed as she approached Ron who was transforming the Lotus Blade back into a sword.

"We need to take the others out and find Drakken to stop him." Ron muttered with pressed lips.

-Beep-beep-be-beep-

Kim quickly answered her Kimmunicator and saw Dr. Director on the screen. "Kim, we've been under attack from Drakken, and we received word that he's attacking Middleton."

"We know we took them out in the downtown area," Kim replied.

Dr. Director shook her head, "No, he's sending these robots after your and Stoppable's family!"

Kim and Ron froze.

"What?" Ron was the first one to respond.

"The attack downtown was a distraction, he's actually aiming to capture or…" Dr. Director paused.

"Or what?" Kim asked.

"To capture or… or kill them. We're sending ag-"

"Ron!" Kim screamed. She watched as he was already on his bike and stopped right next to her.

"Let's GO!" Ron ordered as he revved the engine and sped towards his destination. They swerved, weaved, and used ramps to leap over obstacles as they raced to save their families. The road was suddenly filled with more Diablo Walkers than there were downtown. Cars filled the streets, left abandoned by their owners as they were attacked, and the streets were mostly barren, devoid of people, as they finally reached their neighborhood.

Kim was concerned at first when she saw the car destroyed when they arrived but was relieved to see a couple of fallen Walkers on the ground in front of her house and her family using them for cover.

Ron was still to far away to see his house but his heart felt fear, the only thing in the horizon was smoke and fire. Ron stopped quickly to let Kim off and sped towards his house.

Kim ran to her family and gave them a quick hug, "How's everyone?"

"We're okay Kimmy cub, but we might not last long here." Her father stated as he held his wife close. "Where did Ron go?"

"He went to his house," Kim told them but quickly noticed that something was wrong through her parents look. "What?"

"Honey, they came from the direction of Ron's house." Anne replied.

"The explosions started around there, but we haven't had the time to check anything." Jim stated.

"Plus we figured that Ron was with them." Tim added.

"He was at work," Kim replied, realizing what that could mean. The sudden explosion brought her back to the problem at hand. "We need to hold off until Global Justice get's here with EVAC, you think we can do it?"

"Anything's possible for a Possible." Her father replied. Kim nodded as she moved from behind cover and started heading for the nearest Walker, pulling out the bottle of hair gel and squirting it at the machine's face, instantly creating a gelatin like bubble. Kim used the machine's inability to see to fire her grappling hook and wrap the legs with the rope.

The resulting crash shook the ground as she turned her attention to another one. She never saw the Diablo raise its' plasma cannon and aim at Kim's back. The cannon was nearly fully charged when a large shiruken sliced its' head off.

Kim only heard the thud of the head hitting the ground before she turned around to see its' head already removed and the large five-pointed blade protruding from the ground. The sound of Ron's bike roared through the air as he slowly approached Kim.

Kim could already tell something was wrong as he stopped and turned to her.

"Ron, are you okay?" Kim asked afraid to know the answer.

Ron looked at her, a cold look in his eyes, as he got off his bike and simply stood. His leather jacket was torn to shreds, his hair was a mess, and oil covered him everywhere.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Was his only response, "I, uh, took care of another Diablo Walker down the road."

"And your-"

"Kim…" Ron paused as he took a deep breath, "Let's focus on us getting your family out of here." Ron informed her.

The loud progression of thuds approaching signaled the incoming menace. Ron retrieved the Lotus Blade and transformed it into a spear. "Kim… I'll cover you guys… you and your family and make sure you're safe."

"Ron, you don't…" Kim started to complain but could see the once blue aura that Ron held when he showed her his Mystical Powers was slowly shifting to a purple hue. "I'm not going to let you do this on your own."

"Suit yourself, but you're not going to like what you see." Ron growled as he rushed forward, his speed enhanced from by his powers and attacked the first Walker to make an appearance. Kim was shocked by the speed of the attack, but was more shocked by the attack itself.

Ron used the spear as a catapult, transformed his spear back into a sword, and stabbed it at the base of the neck. Then used his own fist to punch a hole into the Walkers' head, a single blow sufficient to disable the machine, instead he continued to attack it as he ripped off the head with his hands.

Kim watched as he continued to viciously attack the walkers, stunned by the ferocity and lack of self control, and finally looked away before heading back to her family.

"What's going on Kim?" Jim asked with confused gaze.

"I thought I heard Ron, is he out there?" Tim added.

They both moved to go try and look when she stopped them, "Don't go out there, just let him do what he needs to do."

They waited. Time seemed to stretch for hours when only minutes really passed, and finally when the last machine fell they all heard a single thing.

"DRRRRAAAAKKKKKEEEENNNN!" That single cry, followed by the uncontrollable sobs, clearly defined what everyone was feeling at the time.

And as the Global Justice transport finally arrived, they all felt a sense of loss. They had lost their home, they lost their friends, and worst of all they lost their innocence.

* * *

Monique slowly took a sip from her drink as she watched for Wade's reaction. He was stunned, and could barely come with the words to comprehend. Ron, his friend, had lost his family in a single swoop.

"Is that why they don't talk anymore?" Wade asked, "Because that doesn't really add up. If anything that would have brought them closer, not break them apart."

"And that's exactly what it did… at first." Monique answered. "But Ron wasn't the only one to lose someone close. Not by a long shot."

"He won…" Wade muttered.

"We lost a lot of people that day Wade, good people, and no one seemed to know how to stop him." Monique took a deep breath, "Drakken seemed to have been planning this for a while now. He systematically attacked every major city all at once, and he attacked the hometown of every superhero team out there."

"Global Justice, Team Go, Team Impossible… and Team Possible."

"That's right," Monique looked at him straight in the eyes, "and he even attacked Yamanouchi."

"The secret ninja school, why?" Wade asked.

"We don't know, but we suspect because of Ron." Monique replied. "Still everyone took losses that day and the remaining hero teams quickly teamed up with Global Justice. They took in as many refugees as they could and started enlisting anyone who wanted to join."

"And that's when you joined."

"Yup, I didn't have anyone to object to it." Monique answered.

"Oh… I didn't know." Wade quickly replied.

"No big, it's not like you knew."

Wade paused and looked down, "I'm… I'm guessing my mom… my dad…"

Monique gave him a sad smile, "Sorry kiddo, they... they never made it."

Wade felt a huge amount of guilt. He could've stopped this by stopping Drakken before he even started to amass his robot army.

He would stop this; he had to, for the sake of everyone's future. And for that he needed all the information he could.

"You have to tell me everything." Wade asked with a look of determination.

"Okay…" Monique began, "Now I don't know everything, I just know what Kim told me…"

* * *

"How bad is it?"

"He's taken over 80 percent of the world," a calm yet determined voice replied, "Only Japan and we remain to fight him."

The screen flashed as it showed more and more destruction from across the globe. Kim and Ron watched as the images unfolded, and finally watched as Dr. Director turn to look at them.

"He hit us, HARD." She started to say, "We need to hit him back harder."

"What do you suggest?" Kim asked. "We haven't found how he's powering these things or even how he's controlling them."

"Yeah, if we knew where his greasy face was we could smash it in." Ron growled with obvious malice.

"Ron, calm down." Kim muttered as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please…"

"Fine…"

"Although not exactly in those words I share the same belief as Ron. We need to find where he is before we can truly end this madness."

"Okay, but where can we find him?" Kim replied, "We haven't had any luck finding him before."

"True, but we have hypothesized that he would be using the same Diablo Walkers that attack to defend his current position." Dr. Director answered.

"And as such we have isolated four possible locations," one of the Global Justice scientist added as he walked over and handed Kim a set of coordinates, "We have prepared an attack operation that will assault all four locations at the same time. This way we maximize our chances of defeating Dr. Drakken."

"Hego and Wego, Dash Duman from Team Impossible, Will Du, and Team Possible will all be leading an assault. We need to take Drakken down."

"Sounds good, when do we go?" Ron muttered, "The sooner the better."

"I agree, that's why you're all leaving as of right now. You'll be fully briefed on your way to the coordinates and I expect everyone to make it back, understood?" Dr. Director asked.

Kim and Ron both nodded. Ron turned and headed towards the hanger bay while Kim stayed behind.

"Dr. Director, once again I want to say thanks for making sure my family stayed safe."

"Don't mention is Kim. We'll keep them safe, I promise."

Kim smiled and headed towards the hangar bay. Dr. Director stood by herself alone as she muttered to her self, "Good luck…"

Kim caught up with Ron as he listened with his complete attention to the Intel they had of the location.

"What did I miss?"

"It's a volcanic lair, his usual M.O., but something doesn't seem right about this." Ron answered.

"Like what?"

"I don't know… I've been off since I lost my ability to use my powers, so I can't be sure."

Kim frowned, "You haven't lost your powers. You just have to ease back into it… slowly."

"Kim, we don't have time for slowly. People are dying out there! We need to stop him now." Ron exclaimed.

"I know Ron… and we need to be fighting him, not each other." Kim replied in a calm voice.

Her words served to calm him down as he nodded, "You're right… it's just that…"

"You can't stop thinking of your family. I know. I've seen you sitting up from the nightmares." Kim responded. She had accidentally come across him one night as he sat in his bed, staring blankly at the wall. Part of her wanted to console him, another part of her still held on to Eric's memory. "It's okay."

"I wish that was true," Ron simply stated as he turned and boarded the hovercraft. Kim nodded. She knew all to well that things weren't okay, but hopefully one day they would be. Kim boarded the hovercraft and sat through hours of flight before they reached their destination.

She peered out side and saw the landing area swarming with Walkers, more than they had been reported. The Walkers immediately fired upon the coming hovercrafts, quickly dispatching a few before he pilots responded, and began their one sided attack.

"What the HELL!" Ron yelled as he held to the wall. "There wasn't supposed to be this many."

"It was a setup." One of the pilots responded. "Someone gave us bad Intel!"

They braced themselves as the pilot fought to avoid the incoming blasts. That's when they heard the communicators come to life.

"All teams report back NOW! Headquarters is under attack, we need every available agent to respond."

"NO! That's where everyone is at." Kim responded.

"Take us back!" Ron yelled as he held on.

"I'm trying but they're not making it easy." The pilot responded as he fought for every feet of distance. "Hold on."

The aircraft jerked as it fired full thrusters to escape the trap. A group of a dozen hovercrafts easily reduced to only a handful. Kim could only shake her head in disbelief.

Ron could only give her a grim look as he looked at her. They rushed to their headquarters, finally arriving to find the place nearly in ruins. A large amount of destruction surrounding the facility, both from the building itself and the robots surrounding it, and took a sigh of relief when they saw agents overlooking the cleanup.

"They survived the attack," Ron stated as they landed. "At least something went right today."

Kim didn't respond as she jumped off the craft and headed inside, a growing sense of dread growing in her heart, and quickly made her way to common room.

The corridors were filled with signs of destruction and death. She looked around and found Dr. Director speaking with a few other agents.

"Director!"

Dr. Director turned to look at her, revealing a large burn across the right side of her face, and simply looked away.

At that moment Kim knew, "No…"

"I'm sorry Kimberly; they were looking for them, specifically for them. I tried to stop her."

"Who?"

"Shego… she got to your parents… she got to one of your brothers." Dr. Director couldn't look at her from shame.

"Are they…" Kim didn't want to say it.

"Your parents, yes… Tim is… okay for the most part." Dr. Director motioned for her to follow and lead her to the infirmary where Jim was sitting next to his brother's bed.

"What happened to him?" Kim asked fighting back the tears.

"After Shego took me out, your parents fought to save your brothers. Jim told me that she grabbed Tim and branded him so that you would always know who did this to you." Dr. Director turned to look at her and placed her hand over her shoulder. "I'm so sorry Kim… I'm... sorry about this."

"You should be… I trusted you with them." Kim responded

The response surprised Dr. Director, but she understood why she felt that way. She watched as Kim went into the room. She stood there for a few seconds before Jim noticed and ran to her, the siblings quickly hugging each other as they felt their loss for the first time.

Dr. Director turned and came across Ron. She looked away.

"She's just emotional about what happened. Don't let her words get to you."

Dr. Director shook her head, "I let her down."

"You couldn't have helped it." Ron replied as he stepped forward and pointed to her scar, "This proves to me you fought with your life to save them. Shego made this personal."

"The plasma I could handle, but she had a bunch of new tricks up her sleeve. I don't know what, but I do know that they hurt." Dr. Director started to walk away before Ron stopped her.

"There's something else, someone gave us bad Intel and threw us into a trap."

"I know… it was the same person that gave away our location and the location of all our bases around the globe." Dr. Director told him. "And let's just say he's already responded for his crimes."

"And the base? We can't stay here anymore."

"We're already moving out to a new place. You don't have to worry about it."

Ron nodded and watched as Dr. Director left. He then headed to the infirmary and watched as Kim stood over her brother bed and held his hand. Ron took a deep breath before he turned and left.

* * *

"So Kim lost her parents too?" Wade asked with a hint of sadness.

"Yeah, she actually took it pretty hard. Things just kept getting worse from there. Devastating losses and small bittersweet victories," Monique muttered as she stared at her empty cup, "Things were like that for a while until…"

"Until… until what?" Wade asked with curiosity.

"Until Kim lost it all."

* * *

A/N: Yeah... it's that bad. And it gets even worse, watch for my next chapter as more is revealed.


	10. Parting Ways

**AN: WOW, can't believe I had waited this long to post a new chapter... um, sorry? I got lost on the road of life? I took the road less traveled, got lost, and finally ended up somewhere near Fargo, ND. All joking aside, I should have the next chapter up sometime this weekend. Sorry for the late update once again, it;s just that this chapter was a toughy. Hope you like and enjoy. Oh and I do not own Kim Possible.**

* * *

**Mr. Nice Guy**

**Chapter 10: Parting Ways**

The dark figure continued to move forward, sticking to the shadows and constantly avoiding coming out into the open. He paused, taking assessment of the situation, and kept his gaze on the entrance in front of him as he felt a presence behind him.

"Details… what do you have?"

The person behind him quickly answered back. "Half a squadron of syntho-drones protecting the main entrance while a few walkers protect the perimeter… We have yet to confirm the target inside."

The dark figure turned and peered with his single eye at the person. "Keyword?"

"Excuse me?" The person asked with an incredulous look.

The dark figure quickly moved forward and punctured the man's abdomen while he placed his hand in front of his mouth to prevent any sound from coming out. "Wrong answer."

The surprise look on the victims face slowly started to shift into someone else. The dark figure slowly lowered his victim down to the ground as he pulled his dagger. He quickly turned when he heard someone approach from above and reached for his kunai.

"Keyword?"

"Tsukyiomi…" The figure replied as it removed its mask to reveal Yori, "We lost Musashi."

"I know… I just dispatched his replacement." The dark figure replied as he removed his mask to reveal dirty blond hair. Ron looked up at Yori, keeping part of his face hidden in darkness, "We still don't know if the target is actually here or not."

"I would assume so, since they made the effort of trying to place a spy among us." Yori muttered.

Ron shook his head, "That's their M.O. but it still doesn't indicate if Shego is here or not."

Yori nodded, "Then the only course of action, is to spring the trap itself."

Ron moved into the light to reveal a large burn scar over his left face, "Let's go and say hi."

* * *

Wade looked uncomfortably at Monique as she took one last sip from her cup. Here he was listening to every bad thing that had happened simply with his disappearance and he felt like the world itself was caving in.

"Do I even want to know how Kim lost it all?"

Monique paused at the question and looked him directly in the eyes, "You tell me… would it help you to know if we somehow manage to send you back?"

"I don't know if it will… but I also don't know if it won't." Wade replied truthfully.

"Maybe it will… maybe it won't… either way I'm not the person who should be telling you about that incident. If you feel you need to know then I suggest you go to the source… you have to ask Kim."

"I don't…" Wade began to say before he was interrupted by an agent who approached them and called for Monique.

"Sorry Ma'am, but Director Possible wishes for you to appear for a security briefing."

Monique nodded as she stood, "I guess you can wait here for"

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but Director Possible requires his presence as well."

Monique looked surprised, "Are you sure?"

"Just following orders Ma'am."

Monique had a worried look on her face before she quietly said, "I guess that means we better go."

They both walked in silence before Wade spoke up, "Why were you surprised when the agent said I was invited to the meeting as well?"

They walked for a few more seconds before Monique answered, "I just think some things are going to be discussed that maybe you are not ready to hear."

"Monique, whatever it is, I can handle it."

Monique gave him a slight frown before she stopped and opened the door to the meeting, "I hope so."

They walked in, making their way towards their seats, and Wade observed who had made the attendance. There were a lot of faces that he didn't recognize, and a few that he thought he might. One he thought he recognized was a man with round rim glasses. His face was older but he looked like a former hacker who had been linked to many cyber attacks in his own time, another who he thought was one of the lab assistants to the former head scientist of Global Justice. There was of course Kim and right next to her was Michael. His gray eyes locked on to him and seemed to follow him to his seat.

"It looks like everyone is here for this briefing. As you know today we had a few events happen that may change the way this war is going." Kim pointed to Wade, "As many of you know, and for those who may not, that is Wade Load. He was the former webmaster and information monger for Team Possible, back before Drakken took over, and just recently made an appearance from years of being lost.

Kim stood and braced herself on the table. "He made it here by traveling through time… he may be the key from stopping this from ever happening… so we need to make his return a priority."

"That's all fine and dandy, but we don't have the means to send him back. We don't have a working time machine and if what it says on the report is true, his own time machine was destroyed when he was attacked by walkers."

The man in the round glasses quickly responded, "Although it is true that we lack the necessary capability right now to send him, I'm convinced with Mr. Load's help we may be able to build something that will suffice in order to send him back. When we first opened the time travel program we were originally working from Mr. Load's notes… so it is safe to say that the original creator would be more than capable of building something given the right tools."

"James is right. Wade will be more than capable of building another time machine." Monique chimed in.

"Be that as it may, I have information to suggest that maybe our first attempts of time travel and their subsequent failures were hindered by… an outside force." Michael added.

"What do you mean?" Kim asked.

"When I first saw Wade I made the same assumption you yourself have made madam Director, so upon my… interrogation of the prisoner, I queried about the possibility of time travel and I was rewarded with information about a device that Drakken has been using as a means to prevent others from affecting the time stream."

"That's not possible… a machine capable of that would require a large amount of power, not to mention the necessary adjustments to affect something within the time-space continuum." The former Lab assistant exclaimed as he peered over his glasses.

"Be that as it may, we're talking about Drakken here… not to mention he has access to technology we can only imagine thanks to his alien alliance." One of the other members replied.

"And I hate to say this, but upon receiving this information from Michael, I took the liberty to use our diagnostic tools and tried to analyze every signal we found in the area," Here James typed something on the keyboard and produced a screen that showed every signal recorded. "Now at first we get the usual… radio signals, echoes, and certain E.M. interference… but once we remove those"

James typed more and the screen started to remove signals until there was practically nothing but a barren line.

"It looks like there's nothing there."

"I thought so to, but I took a closer look." Here James typed once more and magnified the screen. The wave suddenly became visible… barely. "There it is. Its appearance is so minute, that you have to go 10,000 magnification just to see it."

"If it's so small, how is it affecting time travel?" Kim asked.

"It's minute because it's seeping from subspace."

The group turned to look at Wade who spoke for the first time. Kim gave him a small smile, "Can you elaborate?"

"It was a theory of mine… flood sub-space with a powerful signal attuned to a specific frequency and it would disrupt certain machines that depend on bending time-space… I got the idea after watching one my favorite sci-fi shows and having a heated discussion about hyper-drive windows…" Wade could see the group was not interested in his story, "Anyway, the device was supposed to stop alien ships from being able to move around with ease… I had actually submitted plans to the U.S. Defense Department, but if modified correctly I would assume it would also be used to stop time travel."

"So I'm guessing that's where he got the idea." Monique grumbled.

"Michael, do you have any idea where this device could be located?" Kim asked.

"Unfortunately the prisoner… didn't quite survive his initial interrogation."

"What do you mean by that?" Wade asked with curious look on his face.

"Wade this is not that time." Monique whispered to him.

"Oscar, or whatever his name was, was in perfect health when he was captured so…" The truth slowly dawned on him. "You tortured him?"

"Let's move on." Kim stated as she looked at Wade.

"And you sanctioned this?"

"Wade…" Monique started to say and stopped when Kim motioned.

"This is not the place or time. Now," Kim turned to the rest of the group. "Our first action then is to locate this device while we work on building a new time machine for Wade to use. You're all dismissed."

"Before that, I think we have an idea of what could be creating this." James added before everyone left.

"Which is?"

The screen quickly changed to show a blueprint, "I'm pretty sure you're familiar with it… I surmised as much after I got Michael's info… too bad we didn't destroy it when we had a chance."

Kim's face seemed to sour at the sight of what was on the screen, "You're all… dismissed."

Kim quickly got up and got out of the room. Wade quickly moved to speak to her as she began to head out the door.

"Kim! Wait up!" Wade called out.

"Wade, if you're going to give me a sermon about ethics…"

"You're right I'm going to give you a sermon," Wade growled, "The Kim I know would never do this. She would never perform or condone torture, no matter the circumstances."

"Things change, people change, Wade… and unfortunately this is one of the things and I am one of those people."

Kim turned around and started to leave when Wade called out, "What happened? What did that guy mean by 'when we had a chance'? What happened?"

Kim stopped and then turned to look at him, "What happened is none of your concern, your concern is to build the time machine to send you back."

"Monique's been telling me about what's happened… how Ron lost his family, how you lost your parents… but she stopped on the day you lost everything. I need to know what happened… I need to know why you and Ron are no longer friends… Why it all seemed to fall apart."

"You don't need to know." Kim muttered as she turned away with a look of anger in her face.

"So you're just going to run away from it? I never realized you had turned into a coward." Wade growled as she paused.

"You don't have the right!" Kim yelled as she turned to glare at him, "You don't know what I've been through… what I lost… what I have to bare!"

"Then tell me… make me understand."

Kim looked into Wade's eyes. "You would never understand…"

* * *

"So I'm guessing you're not happy that your brothers decided to join the attacking force of Global Justice and fight on the front lines… are you?" Ron asked with a slight frown.

Kim simply gave him a cold stare before responding, "What do you think?"

"You can't stop them Kim. They're technically adults now." Ron slowly moved behind her, "Just relax… we have a mission to go anyways, remember?"

"Yeah!" Rufus exclaimed. Ron simply patted his rodent friend to calm him down.

Kim moved away, "It still doesn't change the fact that they're joining… or the fact that you trained them for this."

Ron rolled his eyes, "Kim, we've been over this. They wanted to know how to fight and we agreed it was best for them to know how to defend themselves."

Kim turned to give him a saddened look, "But did you have to make them that good?"

"Hey, they're just that good… I guess it's in your blood." Ron joked as he grabbed the rest of his gear. "Besides, Dr. Director made that promise, didn't she?"

"I'm not sure whether to feel relieved or worried about that." Kim honestly replied. "I have a hard time trusting what she's doing these days."

Ron paused as he realized what she meant. The loss of her parent's a constant reminder whenever she took care of her brother and saw the scars on Tim.

"I know, but now that we teamed up with Yamanouchi we've seen more success." Ron added as he finished preparing for the day. "And the information we've been getting seems to be helping turn the tide of this war."

"Yeah…" Kim muttered barely audible. It had been almost seven years since she lost her parents, and she had devoted her time and effort in making sure that her brothers would be fine. They had grown up in this time of war, watching the horror of not knowing whether the person you just spoke to in the morning would even come back in the evening.

Not only that, but Shego's attack had scarred them. At first she thought they would be too traumatized to recover but somehow Ron had managed to bring them back from the brink and actually helped them overcome their horrors.

Now victory was close at hand. The sudden surge of troops from Yamanouchi as well as the information they had been receiving from the escaped prisoners from Drakken's "internment" camps were finally showing a turning tide. She had become hopeful for the first time in years.

"Thanks Ron." Kim managed to say as she looked at him.

Ron turned to look at her and saw a small smile that he had not seen in years. He smiled back.

"Guys, Dr. Director needs you for a briefing." Monique called as she leaned on the door. "You guys look in a good mood… getting a little something on the side?"

"MONIQUE! It's not like that…" Kim called back with a flush look in her face, "Besides this would be an awful time to be thinking about that anyways."

"Whatever, we still need to go." Monique called back before she snickered, "But I'll buy you guys a few minutes if that's what you need?"

Kim glared at Monique's retreating form as Ron simply chuckled.

"We better go." Ron muttered and started to head out the door.

* * *

"We've received reports of a group of escaped prisoners from one of Drakken's enslavement camps. Remember that our first priority is to rescue these people and help them make it back here. They are fellow human beings but only that they have valuable information on some of Drakken's key installations." Dr. Director looked at the group assembled before her. "I expect everyone to make it back… everyone."

The group nodded.

"Good, Will Du, Your squad will be Alpha squad. Kim Possible your squad will be Beta squad, and Ron's team is Delta squad. Any questions?"

Two arms raised in the back. "What about us?"

Kim turned to see Kim and Tim in the back. Jim smiled as he stepped forward. "I would think we should be participating as well seeing as we were promised a mission for today."

Tim simply nodded as he made his way next to his twin. They were no longer identical as the scar across Tim's face was the differentiating mark as well has his calm and quiet demeanor.

"Jim, Tim, next time make sure you arrive on time for mission briefings or you will not participate, do I make myself clear?" Dr. Director declared as she glared at them.

"Sorry about that, but we did just receive our issued uniforms, that's the reason why we're late."

"Fine, Jim you're with Kim and Tim, you're with Ron." She clarified as turned back to the screen behind her. "As you can see from aerial photographs, we have identified two groups of survivors and we need to make sure both groups make it back. Move quickly, if we have this info then so does Drakken."

The group quickly began dispersing as they made their way towards the exits and towards their target. Tim quickly made his way next to Ron, who smiled and gave him a slight thumb up, before nodded to the rest of the group and motioning for them to follow.

Jim for his part ran up to his sister and started to ask a lot of questions as they started to make their way towards their exit.

A small amount of time passed as Alpha squad made their way towards the first group of refugees and Kim kept her eyes and the eyes of her team on the perimeter. The battle suit was showing its age but thankfully it still served its purpose to enhance and help fight the walkers. Kim quickly turned the com on and called her observations. "We have an issue, they're coming in hot."

"Copy, Delta team coming in." Ron muttered as he motioned for the team to move their mobile artillery to key positions as he pulled the lotus blade and transformed it to a Naginata, ready to attack.

The small group of refugees were running, some falling from the exhaustion, others struggling to get the fallen ones to their feet as they watched the giant Machines make their way towards them.

"We got LOBSTERS, repeat we got lobsters." The voice over the radio declared.

"Lobsters?" Jim asked.

"Its slang for TRRU-350 Walkers, because you know, they look like lobsters with those claws." One of the other soldiers replied to the question.

"Keep it down back there, and ready your marks" Kim snapped back.

"Beta, Delta, refugees are in the green zone, you have a green light." Will Du called over the com units.

"Fire!" Kim and Ron called as various projectiles fired upon the unsuspecting machines and destroyed a couple of them, while crippling most of the rest.

Ron jumped forward, "Return to the remaining forces, Kim and I will take of the stragglers."

As Ron approached one of the few remaining machines and quickly removed its head and moved on to the next one. The process took only a few minutes as they finished and returned back to the rest of the group.

The few refugees that were hurt were quickly getting treatment as the rest of them were being fed and watered so that they may regain some energy to move again. Ron felt uneasy.

"What's wrong?" Kim asked as she noticed her best friends look.

"Something just doesn't feel right. This was too easy." Ron muttered.

"You think saving refugees and destroying a half dozen walkers is easy?"

"It's not that… it's… I'm not sure what, but I know something is amiss." Ron was about to elaborate when he spotted a familiar face in the crowd of refugees. "No way…"

"Ron, what is… it…" Kim started but froze as she heard the voice.

"Kim, is that you?"

Kim turned to see the one person she didn't think she would ever see again, "Erik."

"Kim, oh my god, I thought you were dead." Erik shuffled forward as did Kim and they both embraced each other, "I thought I lost you. I heard things, terrible things, but I'm glad they weren't true."

"How? I thought you were… gone during the first days of his attack." Kim asked in disbelief.

"He captured me, at first he was going to use me for bait but after he tortured me for a few weeks, he decided to humiliate me," Erik shuddered as he started to recall, "Shego, she would hurt me and tell me how she tortured you and beat you… and she started to do… things."

"It's seems you were one of the lucky ones." Ron muttered as he stepped forward.

"I'M ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES! HOW AM I LUCKY" Erik screamed with malice.

"At least you're not dead and you escaped." Ron replied in a matter of fact.

"Ron!" Kim was shocked.

"Will, we got to start moving, we don't want to get caught by any walkers heading over here to find out what happened to thee TTRU's."

"Agreed, Let's MOVE it people!" Will cried out as they started to march back to base.

As Kim started to help Erik to move Ron grabbed her and pulled her aside, "Kim be careful, this is too good to be true."

"Or maybe it's time our fortune really changed. Does it really matter?" Kim replied as she made her way back to Erik's side.

"I hope not…" Ron muttered to himself.

* * *

"Somethings going on. I can't put my finger on it, but I get the feeling that something bad is coming our way." Ron muttered as he leaned back against the wall.

"Are you sure it's not just some of your old jealousy talking?" Monique asked with a quirky smile which quickly went away when she saw his face. "I'm not saying your intuition is wrong, but could the fact that it's Erik making your opinion a bit… you know, bias?"

"I considered it."

"I agree that it is a bit convenient, but don't you think Drakken would've played this hand a long time ago if he had it?"

Ron turned and gave Monique a serious look, "That's just it Monique, Drakken didn't have a reason before, but now with the tide of the war turning, it would be a perfect time to use it."

Monique began to think about it that way and gave a quick shudder at the thought of it, but couldn't get the idea of it all being a byproduct of Ron's jealousy towards Kim's old boyfriend.

Six years had passed and things had never escalated for Kim and Ron, whether it was because of the war, the losses they had experienced, or something else, it didn't matter. What mattered was the resulting feelings they still had. Monique had spoken with both Ron and Kim about their feeling for each other, and the information she gathered was pretty overwhelming.

Simply put, Ron still held feelings for Kim, but he wasn't sure how she would react even now. Would his approach for a relationship be taught of as genuine, or as a spur of the moment thing? What about Kim's feelings?

Ron was filled with confusion as to what to do, keep trying to get together with Kim… or move on.

As for Kim, she had mutual feeling for Ron, but she was in the same boat as she wasn't sure if they were genuine or if she was just getting caught with the idea of having Ron around. Besides she still held feelings for the love she had lost, or was lost as was the situation now.

"Ron you have to admit that some of your paranoia is coming from your… "strong" dislike of Erik."

"And what if it is? It isn't paranoia if it's right." Ron responded in a dangerous tone, "It also doesn't change the fact that there's something wrong about this whole thing."

Monique shook her head as she caught someone of the corner of her eyes. Monique smiled as she quickly turned to wave her down. "Maybe you can talk some sense into him, I'll be back after I get a brew."

Ron looked to his side to see caring eyes look at Monique then him and slightly nod. Ron tried to cool his temper as she approached.

"Ron, is there something you wish to discuss?"

"I'm not sure you can help me, Yori."

Yori smiled and leaned unusually close to his face before speaking, "I see that anger has once again overtaken your mind. It is creating conflict and is clouding your judgement."

"That almost sounded like sensei… how's he doing by the way?"

Yori looked down, a saddened look took over her usual passive face, "I'm sad to report that since my last visit, Master Sensei's health has deteriorated further… he may not live much longer."

"The war has taken a toll on everyone."

Yori looked at Ron, locking her determined eyes with his, "Master Sensei has once again requested your return to Yamanouchi, and claim your rightful place as the next Master Sensei."

Ron turned away, although he had been asked to return many times before, he still couldn't accept it. Over the years his ninja skills had flourished, even as his Mystical Monkey Powers had all but disappeared. Ron had never envisioned himself ever turning his Sensei down, but…

"You know why I turned down the last request. Kim and Global Justice still need me, especially now more than ever."

Yori nodded and turned away, "I know the reason was you have denied your right… and me."

Ron wasn't sure what to do and opted to place his hands on her shoulders as a sign of comfort, "Yori… we… I… I'm not sure, but I think I would love you if…"

"If not for Kim Possible," Finished for him, "I know."

"It's cruel, I know, but I can't deny what I feel." Ron muttered.

Yori was about to say something before they heard someone approach.

"Ron, Dr. Director has ordered an emergency meeting," Monique informed him before turning to Yori, "You might want to attend this as well."

They both nodded as they followed her back to the meeting room where most of the team leaders were already assembled and Dr. Director had begun her briefing.

"About time you got here Stoppable, get your seat ready, we have to make this quick." ordered as she stepped forward and looked at her troops.

"Yes Ma'am!" Ron replied as he made his way to his usual seat only to find Erik sitting there, next to Kim. This fact quickly soured him as he moved further down the table and sat down.

"Now you may be wondering as to why I'm calling this meeting, we've just received information of a priority one level. Thanks to your successful mission from earlier today we have received information that could potentially end the war tonight." Dr. Director motioned to the screen where a blueprint was suddenly shown. "These schematics that were given to us by Erik show-"

"Whoa, hold on, Erik had these?" Ron asked with a furious tone.

"Yes."

"And you don't find anything odd about this development?" Ron asked.

"Ron!" Kim exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but someone had to ask."

Dr. Director sighed, "Yes, we thought along the same lines, so we had him tested."

"He shows no signs of being a syntho-drone or of suffering from brainwashing. Besides the usual amount of malnutrition, basic signs of abuse, and traces of radiation, there's nothing wrong with him."

Ron turned to look at James who had answered his concern, "And you're 100 percent sure that-"

"Ron, I can't believe your attitude today." Kim interrupted.

"Kim it's okay, if I was in his shoes I'd be doing the exact same thing, but I can assure you that my intentions are my own. I was never experimented on, they just used me as slave labor and the occasional punching bag for that green bitch." Erik started to have a look of hatred before Kim grabbed his clenched fist to calm him down. "I heard of these people escaping so I took my shot, and I snagged these plans before I left. I thought they might help bring Drakken down, but I wasn't sure what I had."

"Regardless, the schematics show that this is a machine that has a very high energy output, and our scientist and researchers have deduced that it is a weapon, a weapon to end this war." Dr. Director slammed her fist on the table. "We need to use it for ourselves or destroy it… and we will do that tonight!"

Ron stood up, "Just tell me where and give me fifteen minutes and a group of Yamanouchi ninjas and I will storm the place and destroy it."

"No."

Ron froze from Dr. Director's response, "What?"

"Destroying the weapon is only secondary, we need to capture it and use it against Drakken. We need to end this war now."

"This weapon will be heavily guarded, and a very bad location to have any of our techs involved." Monique added.

"I know, which is why we're not taking any of our technicians, we're taking some off our soldiers with skills in mechanics." Dr. Director replied. "More specifically I'm talking about Jim and Tim Possible."

"Betty, you told-" Kim started to argue.

"Yes, but this is too important. Besides if everything goes as planned the risk will be minimal."

"How do you intend to do that, Madam Director?" Yori asked.

"Simple, by using the element of surprise. They don't know we have these schematics yet, they don't realize we know the existence of the weapon, and we will use that fact against them." Dr. Director motioned for Will Du to proceed.

"The plan is simple we have also acquired five other prime targets that we will attack simultaneously in less than an hour. This will hopefully create a big enough distraction to warrant the attention of Shego, Warmonga, and Drakken. Once we confirm the appearance of all three in the other five location we will proceed to the main target, the weapon." Will looked to see if anyone objected, "If any of the targets are missing from these other five locations we will inform the primary group and they will wait on reinforcements from the closest group."

"What group?"

"The Yamanouchi Ninjas. Drakken has seen the Ninjas as GJ's primary Black Op force, used for the most important missions. We'll use this fact to confuse him further." Will Du was approached by a researcher and grabbed a ring. "We'll also use these holographic rings to disguise a few others as the primary force to fighting on the other front lines. This will help to confuse them further."

"So who's the primary force?" Ron asked.

"The primary force will consist of myself, a few team leaders… as well as a few others I chose, you're included of course." Dr. Director answered.

"I would like to offer my services as well." Erik exclaimed.

"I'm sorry but we can't take a civilian to fight." Dr. Director muttered.

"I know the terrain, I know the building, and I know most of the defenses. My knowledge could be invaluable." Erik countered. As he saw the reaction of the directors face he turned to Kim. "Come on, you know I can help. I've never let you down before, please give me a chance to prove myself and get my revenge for everything they've done to me."

Kim looked deeply into his eyes and nodded, "Director, I can make sure he's not involved with the conflict and make sure he's not spotted."

"Kim, come on." Ron exclaimed.

"Possible… if you think he could help us…"

"Director you have to see that she's not capable of giving us an unbiased opinion right now." Ron cried out.

"Excuse me, I am unbiased. You know as well as I do that when unfamiliar with the terrain it's always better to get the info from the ones who know it. Especially if we want to make this a success."

"I still think we should just destroy it."

"Enough out of both of you." Dr. Director growled. "Kim do you think he can help us?"

"Yes."

"Good enough for me. You can come but you will follow Kim, do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." Erik turned slightly to Kim, "Thanks."

"You'll all receive team briefings in fifteen minutes, get your teams together and get ready to go." Dr. Director turned around, "Dismissed."

Ron walked out with Yori in tow before being caught up by Kim, "What is your defect Ron?"

"My defect? My defect is the fact that your letting your feelings cloud your judgment, that's my defect."

Kim looked a bit shocked, "Are you saying you can't trust my judgment?"

"Not right now when you're all puppy eyed over your old boyfriend instead of focusing on a mission that could be our last one." Ron growled as he felt his anger rise from everything that had been happening lately.

Kim's eyes narrowed as she got close to him, "Ron, green is definitely not your color."

"You think this is about you and him finding each other again?" Ron scoffed, "I'm more concerned with making sure we all get out of this alive, including your brothers. It looks to me like you wouldn't even cared if they went dea-"

*SLAP*

"How dare you even say that." Kim replied, anger clearly visible now on her face.

"We'll, hopefully this put your mind back into the mission," Ron muttered as he lowered his head, "I have to go get ready."

Ron walked with a cold determination as Yori followed, "I'm surprised you let her hit you."

"It's none of your concern Yori."

"It is when it concerns you. Please keep a calm mind and come back to me… please?"

Rufus, who had been watching the whole thing, simply whimpered in agreement.

Ron took a deep breath as he calmed his anger and his nerves, "I always do, don't I? But tonight… it just feels bad."

Yori could only nod with agreement.

* * *

"The building is this way." Erik whispered as he moved forward.

"Yeah, intel has it on little less than two clicks from here." Will responded.

"I guess we still have a lot of walking to do." Jim muttered.

"Yes we do, and keep it down." Kim responded with a harsh whisper.

Ron was on point as he moved forward keeping himself close to the shadows of the area. He paused as he felt the ground vibrate a bit, quickly raising his arm to signal everyone to stop.

The radio quickly crackled to life, "We have confirmation that all three targets are in secondary targets, proceed with attack."

"Thank you Monique, Director out." Dr. Director motioned for Ron and Kim to move forward and sweep the area. They nodded as they rushed forward.

Ron and Kim made it to a clearing and watched as large Diablo-Walkers began to march towards another destination. "It looks like they bought the bait." Kim muttered as she passed the Binoculars to Ron.

"I still feel uneasy about this whole thing." Ron replied as he watched them take off. "That's new."

"What's new?" Kim asked as she looked up, "Are those…"

"Walkers? Yes, and they are definitely flying." Ron surmised as he zoomed in, "They don't look like regular Diablo-Walkers… this is definetly a research center."

"Agreed," Kim responded as she pressed the speak button on the radio three times, their signal of an all clear.

A few minutes later the rest of the group appeared. "What you got?"

"The vibration we felt was from some walkers moving towards one of the other secondary targets, but what interest us was some of the new designed walkers that flew." Ron reported.

"They could be trouble, but now that we know about them we can do something about them. Let's proceed with the plan while we can, let's move out double time." Dr. Director ordered. The group agreed and started to run towards their target.

When they finally arrived close to the perimeter Erik suddenly stopped them. "We need to watch for motion and thermal sensors…"

"Don't worry about that, I have the solution right here." Ron muttered as he gave a light whistle, "Hey buddy you're up."

Rufus sprang from his pocket wearing a small gi, "Uh huh, yeah!"

"How's that rat… "thing" going to help us? It's going to set off the alarms." Erik whispered harshly.

"Watch and learn," Ron growled.

Rufus moved forward before quickly finding a gopher whole and going inside, They waited for a few minutes before Rufus suddenly appeared again, "All done."

"Okay, let's go."

"Wait, that's it? Your rat left and came back a couple of minutes and that's it?" Erik asked in disbelief.

"Erik…" Kim tried to calm him down.

"Yeah, actually that's it. Now if you could direct us toward where we have to go?" Ron replied.

"There's an entrance about fifty meters down this wall, it's bio-metrics scan. DNA, fingerprint, and occular identification in order to get in." Erik replied, "But I'm not moving forward until the sensors are disabled. They have big guns tied to those things and if you-"

Ron dashed forward, as nothing happened, and started to slow down as he saw the door not too far off. Ron turned to look at the group, "You were saying?"

"Erik I tried to tell you, this isn't the first time we've broken into one of Drakken's base. Rufus is pretty good at what he does." Kim informed him. "Now after we get through the door what?"

"Um, okay… there's pressure sensitive hallway that leads to an elevator. The elevator takes you to the real base, which is underground. In order to reach the weapon, we need to get all the way to the bottom."

"Shouldn't be to hard, one elevator and we can go all the way down." Will exclaimed as he moved next to Erik and Kim.

"It would be, but the elevators only work a few floors at a time… and this base is about 27 floors down."

"That's definitely going to be a problem." Dr. Director muttered.

"Tim and I got the door, we can go in now." Jim informed them as he motioned for them to follow him inside. The inside was what they expected, timed patrols from Syntho-drones and the occasional camera. Ron motioned to the rest of the group to wait, got in a pose, and suddenly seemed to disappear right in front of Erik.

"How did-"

"Shhhh, keep it down." Will whispered to him. A few seconds later Ron appeared again.

"Clear run towards the elevator, anything else we need to know about?" The question was directed towards Erik more than anyone else.

"Just what I had already mentioned. The last floor is a huge cavern, and the machine is directly in the middle of the room, it's not hard to miss it."

"Good, let's go." The director ordered as she moved forward.

The plan had been going as planned, as they proceeded with little resistance to the last elevator, and finally began their descent to the last floor. This whole situation had Ron on edge. Nothing was ever easy with Drakken, and this situation was too easy.

As the doors of the elevator slowly opened, they took a good look around. It seemed completely empty as they proceeded forward. Ron could feel the hair in the back of his neck stand on end which made him reactively reach for the Lotus Blade strapped on his back. The area was dark, with only a few overhead lamps providing light to illuminate the room. The air smelled heavily of rust and sulfur.

"That's weird." Jim muttered.

"What's weird?" Dr. Director asked.

"I'm getting a weird radiation spike… unlike anything I've ever seen before."

"I wouldn't think that would be much." Will Du added. Kim, Ron, Tim, and Jim simply gave him a look. "What?"

"You obviously don't know my brothers." Kim replied.

"The machine seems to be... dormant. It's not operational yet." Jim informed them as Tim motioned for the scanner and gave it a glance. He gave Jim a look.

"Yeah, I don't like that either."

*FLASH*

"My… how have both of you grown… I regret almost ending one of you."

The group peered trough the glaring lights above to barely make out a few figures over the rafters, but the voice was definitely familiar.

"Shego." Ron growled as he grabbed the hilt of the Lotus Blade ready to fight. The group quickly realized that they were surrounded as more figures suddenly appeared over head. Ron tried to keep a track of how many before he realized that it would be fruitless to do so.

"You shall fall in the name of the Great Blue." Another familiar voice called out.

"Warmonga…" Kim added as she kept her eyes on the enemy. "Erik…"

Kim had grown worried for him as she turned to look for him. Then things happened fast.

"Come out and play little Erik." Shego muttered with what Ron could only imagine was a wicked smile and felt a sudden sharp pain in the small of his back.

Ron knew it as soon as those words left her lips. His mind knew he was right, but what he had failed to realize was how close the traitor had been to him. He failed to realize that over the years he had become an equal a target as Kim or the Director… he failed to realize the amount of hatred Erik had towards him.

His mind had come to the conclusion as soon as the final piece of the puzzle had been made available. His mind, once preoccupied by the impending ambush, had forgotten to take Erik into consideration. The only thing he felt was something penetrate his back, and although his reflexes were enough to avoid the blade from piercing his spine, he still felt it scrape against bone as his legs gave way and finally fell to the floor, the blade stuck in his back.

Kim could only watch as the man she had been in loved once stood over the motionless body of her best friend.

"Ah… what a shame." Erik whined in a crazed voice, "He's still alive… I guess I can play with him like that for a while though." He started to cackle as he turned to look at the others.

"How?" Kim barely managed to utter ass he began to approach her. "You were cleared…"

"I can answer that princess." Shego taunted from the rafters before she jumped and landed near her, "Dr. D and I had a little fun with your boy toy here. We tinkered, we plotted, and we made him our own personal puppet."

"We tested him and made sure he wasn't brainwashed." Dr. Director muttered in disbelief. "How did you…"

"Yeah, I thought you would be able to catch as well but, Dr. D said it wouldn't matter. He said Erik here wouldn't trigger unless he was inside this room. Something about a specific signal or radiation… I don't know and quite frankly I don't care. I get to enjoy seeing Kimmy here in her worse."

While the group had remained mostly motionless, a young man made the first move… by attacking the woman that had scarred him.

Tim, in a blind rage, attacked her from behind and started his assault as Shego simply chuckled and avoided him.

"Tim!" Jim cried as he moved to help his brother but stopped as the area in front of him was suddenly full of fire from the syntho-drones above.

"Will! Cover fire and call for backup!" Dr. Director ordered as she fired back at her attackers and grabbed Jim pulling him behind cover among the desk.

Kim tried to move but the shock of what had happened was still in her mind.

"Care for a dance?" Erik uttered ever so sweetly before he thrust forward to attack the red head.

Kim simply acted by reflex as she avoided his blows and fought back. Her battle suit compensating for her lack of focus as she parried a right upper and landed a blow of her own, breaking Erik's nose in the process.

Erik for his part didn't seem to care about the damage he had just received as he rushed forward again, as if unaware of the blow.

Kim had tried not to hurt him, as she felt that he was acting against his will, but the sudden feral onslaught made it impossible to not hurt him without getting hurt herself. She wasn't sure what to do now as this wasn't something she had ever envisioned.

Meanwhile, Shego continued to avoid Tim's attacks with complete ease. Taunting and returning weak blows, like a cat playing with a mouse. "Kid, this isn't even practice. I don't need to get serious to beat you."

Shego quickly moved under Tim's strike, delivered a blow to the side of his face, followed by a knee to the gut, and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and hip tossed him to the wall. Shego gave a crazed smile as she clenched her fist in front of her. "But if you really wanna see me get serious…"

Electricity crackled as surged it through her fist.

"Leave my brother alone!"

Jim jumped in front of her and tossed what looked like two ashtrays towards her.

"Please as if this could stop m- ARGH!" The moment Shego used her new powers to destroy the disk a magnesium iron-oxide compund within them flared up and blinded her. She rubbed her eyes furiously to regain her eyesight.

Jim picked up Tim and made sure he was okay, his brother simply nodded as they both stood up.

"Remember Tim, we can do this together, I promised you." Jim muttered as they stood side by side and lunged towards Shego.

"You… little… BRATS!" Shego growled as green flames enveloped her and began to swirl around her.

The twins rushed forward and drew weapons as they readied their attacks on Shego, only to be attacked by a second female in green.

"What!" Jim muttered as he and Tim stopped and braced themselves for the blow of Warmonga's Staff.

Shego slowly stepped forward, the flames barely caressing her skin, as she moved slowly forward, "You forgot I had backup didn't you?"

Warmonga simply grabbed one of the twins and tossed him, the sound of him hitting the hall reverberating through the room.

Shego for her part simply stepped on the small of the other twin's back as he groaned in agony. "Now which one are you? Come on… turn around!"

Shego leaned down and grabbed Jim by the throat, who was trying to struggle free, and picked him up with ease. Her hands quickly ignited with green flames and smiled as she felt the flesh around Jim's throat burn.

"SHEGO!"

She quickly tossed Jim towards her attacker and delivered a powerful sidekick that sent Jim and Dr. Director flying back. "If it isn't little Betty Boop… tired of watching your little tin soldiers get broken by me?"

"Jim… Jim? Are you okay?" Dr. Director asked as she looked Jim over, he was barely breathing, As she stood up and looked at Shego, fury in her eye. "You're going to pay!"

Shego simply yawned as she gave her a tired look, "If I had a nickle for every time someone from Global Justice said that, well let's just say I'd be in a very different kind of business."

"Shego, allow Warmonga the honor of slaying the enemy leader." Warmonga uttered as she stepped forward to meet Dr. Director.

"Suit yourself big green, just leave the little ones to me. I like to see them squirm." Shego replied with a sinful smile. Warmonga nodded as she thrust forward her weapon and aimed for Betty's chest.

Shego stood there and watched as the leader of Global Justice fought the alien sidekick of Dr. Drakken. She was enjoying the show and let her guard down for only a split second before she felt someone wrap their arms around her. Tim bear hugged her and tried to squeeze her.

Shego simply turned her head to look back, "You must really want to die… fine by me."

The next moment a sudden surge of electricity shot through him, seizing up his limbs, and felt his muscles convulse from the shock, before the surge finally stopped and he fell to the ground. Shego turned and raised her hand, engulfed by green flames, and prepared to deliver the final blow when she felt a sudden pull on her arm. As she looked down she noticed a chain wrapped around her arm.

"Grrrrgh… no… can't… let you… do that."

"The sidekick… I'm surprised to see you still moving around." Shego muttered as she turned and stepped towards him.

Ron felt blood trickle down his lips but still pulled back the chain as he stood, turning it into a Naginata to help him stand. "Come on Shego, afraid to take on someone who isn't a kid?"

"Big talk coming from a half dead nobody."

"Big talk coming from a useless has been… are you so traumatized by the fact that Kim and I used to pound on you like punching bag that you're picking on the young ones?"

Shego smiled, "Although it's true that you and Kim used to get the better of me…" Electricity crackled through her body, "I've had a few… upgrades."

Ron felt his adrenaline flow through his veins as he rushed forward and swung his bladed staff and managed to land a blow with the staff as he quickly transformed the naginata to a tonfa and blocked Shego's backhand blow. Pain exploded in his body as he braced for the impact.

Every movement he made hurt. Every breath he took burned. It took his complete concentration just to be able to move his legs through the pain. The only advantage he had right now was the blade.

Shego screamed as she moved back from a blow to her abdomen and flared up her flames, firing it towards Ron with full force. Ron quickly transformed the Lotus Blade to a shield to brace for the impact of the flames, transformed the shield to a metal fan, and used the fan to fan the flames forward for cover as he lunged into his next attack.

Only to find that Shego had jumped away and moved close to Tim.

"I'm impressed even hurt you still put up a damn good fight… but him," Shego pointed to Tim on the floor before engulfing her hands in green flames, "I doubt he has your tolerance for pain."

Ron could see what her plan was, could see that she was baiting him to save Tim, and swore under his breath as he lunged forward to save him. Transforming the Lotus blade into a shield, he threw it forward, impaling it on the floor and saving Tim… only to take a hammer blow across the face.

The strike stunned him and felt another blow land on his abdomen. He could feel the air in his lungs rush out as he struggled to maintain consciousness. The onslaught continued as he felt multiple blows to his sternum, his kidneys, and finally axe kick to his shoulder that forced him to his knees.

Ron could feel his body slowly slipping into unconsciousness again. He tried to keep pressure to his stab wound but found that the bleeding would not stop and started to fall forward.

"Oh no… no, no, no… we can't have you sleeping yet." Shego muttered as she grabbed Ron's chin to force him to look up and looked into his brown eyes… and smiled. "I'll make you forget about the pain in your stomach soon enough… once we get rid of one of these!"

Shego placed her right hand over Ron's left eye and her left hand over his right shoulder and ignited her flames. Ron immediately screamed, thrashed, and tried to pull back as he felt the pain from the searing flames. His body screamed in agony as his mind began to break from the pain… and as his anger grew within him… he felt a sudden surge of power flow through him. He suddenly grabbed both of Shego's arms and threw a straight forward kick into her abdomen that sent her flying back and crash through the wall.

Ron could still feel the power swirl around him as a red aura radiated from him, and just as quickly as it had appeared… it was gone and he collapsed to his knees.

He remained there, his body drained, for what seemed like hours to him before he noticed a large figure slowly yet steadily step towards him and raise it's weapon. It was Warmonga.

"For the Great Blue, I shall vanquish you." Warmonga muttered.

Ron could only look up and peer through his one eye as he felt anger well inside him again. As Warmonga was about to deliver the finishing blow something sent her flying to the side and suddenly appeared before Ron.

"Ron-kun, we must get you out of here and to a doctor quickly."

"Yori?" Ron managed to mutter before he finally collapsed into her arms.

"Yoshi, Takou, grab the remaining survivors and retreat back to base," Yori ordered. The scene before her was terrible. Although they had quickly realized that the Shego they were attacking on the previous base was a fake, it still took them at least twenty minutes before they arrived and joined the battle.

Even if overwhelmed, Yori felt that the team with both Kim and Ron would be more than sufficient to survive an ambush, as they had always done before. Yori looked up towards Kim, watching as the redhead would only dodge the blows coming from the boy she had saved earlier, and felt something inside her.

Anger.

Yori quickly tended to Ron's wound as best she could and when she felt satisfied with the sutures, she ordered for him to be moved back to base as well. The usually reserved and quite Yori was now rushing towards Kim's side and remained silent as she pushed her blade through flesh and bone.

"NO!" Kim exclaimed as she watched Yori appear in front of her and stab Erik in the chest. "I could have saved him."

"You can not "save him" as you claim. While you've been busy trying to save him, you've failed to see the world crumble around you." Yori cried out as she turned to look at Kim.

"You!" Kim started to scream but was silenced when she felt Yori slap her.

"You forgot your mission and you brought dishonor to yourself!" Yori screamed. "Even worse, you allowed your family and friends to get hurt… you Kim Possible disgust me."

Kim stood in silence as she suddenly realized. Ron, the ambush, she wasn't sure if it was because of the shock of what Erik did or because she had completely focused on trying to save him but she had forgotten about the mission, forgotten about the tweebs and Ron.

"The tweebs!"

"They're being evacuated, but we must go as well." Yori exclaimed as she jumped down and ran towards the exit. "While we still can."

Kim followed in complete silence.

* * *

"…roken ribs, broken clavicle, fractures to his left orbital bone, and finally a puncture that managed to slice close to his spine in between his T-12 and L-1. The puncture wound managed to penetrate all the way to the front of his abdomen. He was lucky whatever stabbed him didn't do damage to his diaphragm, or he wouldn't be here today."

"What about his burns?"

"first degree burns around his arms, second degree burns around his ribs, but his right shoulder and his left eye received third degree burns… I'm afraid he has lost the use of his left eye as well."

Ron laid in the bed hearing the doctor continue to explain how lucky he was to still be alive, but felt rage in the pit of his stomach and slowly tried to get up.

"Mr. Stoppable, I wouldn't recommend doing that, you're still in a very delicate state." The doctor cried out as he saw Ron struggle to get up.

"How delicate?"

"You shouldn't even be up for another day or two… at the least."

Ron smirked, "Then I guess that means I'm healing faster than you thought."

Ron finally managed to sit up and looked at Yori who had stood to the side watching everything. His eyes met squarely on her own, "Tell me everything."

"Ron this might not be…"

"Yori, I need to know."

Yori kept her eyes locked with his before closing them and nodding, "As you wish... we believe the whole thing was a plan by Drakken. We don't know for how long he had been planning this but it's the only thing that makes sense.

"Obviously Erik was a planted agent sent here with false information to lure us to the ambush site. It was as you feared, they used Kim's feelings over him in order to get us to lower our guard."

"So the plans, the refugees, the victories we had… they were planned ahead by Drakken." Ron muttered.

"Yes, we believe that to be the case."

"Casualties?"

"Overall we lost over two dozen warriors from Global Justice, and we lost five Yamanouchi Ninjas… as well as Jim and… and the Director."

Ron was surprised, "The Director… and Jim are… dead?"

Yori nodded, "From what we gathered from the battle site, Warmonga overwhelmed Dr. Director with syntho-drones and dealt the final blow herself. Jim received third degree burns around his throat from Shego… we lost him a couple of hours ago. Tim is in a coma."

Ron felt rage start to build up again before the feeling of worry stopped him, "Kim… is she okay?"

"She was… unhurt."

"What?" Ron asked with a look of disbelief. "I would have thought that she…"

"She was taken out of the fight by Erik. I'm not sure if it's because of shock or some self-delusion thought of saving the young man but… she was too distracted to be any help in the battle."

Ron could feel his rage come back again. This was exactly what Ron had feared, what he tried to prevent from happening, yet she still insisted on trying to hang on to old feelings…

"Who's going to lead Global Justice now?" Ron asked, although he had a faint idea of who it would be.

"After Dr. Directors passing we found her last will and testament. She had promoted Kim to Director of Global Justice with the requirement that the council approve… she was approved almost unanimously."

"I see…" Ron muttered as he touched the bandage over his left eye and clenched his other fist. "I need to see her, now."

As Ron stood up to his feet and felt a sudden rush of pain through his abdomen. He looked down to see a few drops of blood stain the hospital gown.

"Mr. Stoppable, you're definitely not ready to be walking around." The Doctor exclaimed as he rushed to his side and begin examining the wound.

"It's nothing. Besides this is more important than anything else at the moment." Ron declared as he pushed him away. "It's time she got a piece of my mind."

* * *

Kim was overlooking the report of the last hour and things… couldn't get worse.

The small victories that they had experience in the last few months had disappeared into nothing as Drakken took everything they had liberated back. Reports were coming in of massive large scale attacks on newly setup Global Justice bases. Their locations given away by some of the refugees that were planted there by Drakken.

Kim could only look on as she realized that they had fallen for a plan that took several months to execute, and it was perfectly executed.

"Madam Director, The EM shield is holding, I can verify that our location is still safe, but I recommend we increase our security measures to insure that we prevent this from happening again." James reported as he dropped off a folder. These are my findings on the new type of spies. They're using nanites to alter their physical appearance and… they're technically humans so the scans for syntho-drones won't help with this."

Kim nodded and started to look over the report, "Thank you James, now if you can leave me alone, I'd appreciate it."

"Yes, ma'am."

Once James left she allowed her shoulders to slump and started to sob. The sudden realization that things had gone so terrible wrong had her reeling in pain. She had lost her family, she had lost a mentor, and lost her only chance to regain some sense of normalcy… all because she allowed him to ruin everything. HE was responsible for how she felt right now, why she had lost one brother and the other one was close to follow.

As tears streamed down her face, she could feel the rage of losing someone she knew she could have saved…

"KIM! We need to talk." Came a scream from outside her new office.

She stood straight and cleared her face of the tears as she held her emotions back. She wasn't expecting Ron back yet, the doctors has claimed he would be in and out of conciousness for days, and yet she was glad to hear him up and about.

She stood and opened to the door to see Ron slowly heading up the stairs. "Ron."

"Kim, we need to talk."

"You shouldn't be out and about yet. The doctors told me you would be out for a couple of days…"

"Can it! I've heard the doctors, but I need to talk to you… alone." That last word was directed to the girl next to him. Yori simply nodded. Kim's face soured.

"Fine by me, there's things we need to discuss." Kim explained as she moved towards him. "Things that are better said behind closed doors."

Ron kept his eye locked with Kim's as he walked the rest of the stairs and walked inside the office. Kim could see that he was angry, and frankly she didn't care why.

"So what's so important that you risk further injury to talk to me." Kim asked in a monotone voice.

"You need to step down as head of Global Justice."

"WHAT!"

Ron looked at her and without hesitation continued, "You're not ready for this kind of responsibility."

"Like you of all people-"

"I of all people know your WEAKNESSES KIM! This last mission just confirmed that your still weak mentally." Ron cluthched his stomach and took a deep breath, "Drakken knows how you think, he will use it against you."

"So who do you think deserves to lead Global Justice, you?" Kim asked with a condescending tone. "You don't look like someone who can lead anyone right now."

"May I remind you the only reason I look like this was because someone was too busy fawning over an old flame to realize that it was a bad idea for her to bring in her boyfriend." Ron replied with malice.

"Like you weren't so quick to bring in your little whore." Kim replied back. "Admit it Ron, you were just jealous that he was by my side."

"BULLSHIT!" Ron screamed before he clutched his stomach again in pain.

"You were just mad at the fact that it was him, not that he could have betrayed us, not that it could have been an ambush… it was simply the fact that he had come back."

"This is what I'm talking about. You won't even admit you made a mistake." Ron replied with a growl.

Kim crossed her arms and frowned, "I made the mistake in trusting you with my brothers."

"You're seriously not pinning the blame of their deaths on me… are you?" Ron muttered as he tried to understand what she was thinking.

"You trained them, you filled their thoughts with revenge, you had them throw themselves at Shego when you knew they didn't stand a chance." Kim replied.

"I DID NO SUCH THING. I trained them to defend themselves, I trained them to live… I didn't know they would try to fight Shego."

"I knew! I told you that I wasn't sure it was a good idea to have them join the attacking division, but you didn't see it that way. What did you think, that they would be safe with you by their side?" Kim asked with genuine interest. "Look at you, you couldn't even protect yourself."

"NO THANKS TO YOU!" Ron screamed, "Does it look like I benefited from your help?"

"You let your guard down, just like the rest of us." Kim countered. "You can't blame me for what happened during that mission."

"And I would agree with you… IF… you had helped fight off the ambush, instead of trying to save someone who was already lost." Ron paused and took a deep breath. He allowed time for his words to sink in before he continued. "Instead of trying to save the ones who truly mattered, the ones who you still had a chance of saving… you opted to forget about them and instead focus on a lost cause."

"I DIDN'T KNOW." Kim muttered through clenched teeth, "I thought Betty would keep her word."

Ron held a look of disgust, "She kept her word… she died before they did." Ron looked away as he finally understood what she was thinking, what she was feeling.

"I made a mistake coming here."

"Well I made the mistake in trusting you." Kim stated as she turned to look away.

"I guess the only thing to do now is to officially resign from Global Justice." Ron grabbed the door handle but paused for a second.

"Ron…"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you tell Yori that we will no longer require the services of Yamanouchi, and she has 24 hours to withdraw all her troops."

Ron shook his head in disbelief. "That is the biggest mistake you've made… I guess this now makes you the buffoon of the team… scratch that, former team."

Ron stepped out of the office and started to walk down the stairs when Yori appeared next to him and walked with him.

"Yori, it seems we have worn out our welcome here. She want's you and the rest of the Yamanouchi Ninja's out of the base in 24 hours."

"Why?"

Ron simply shook his head, "Don't ask me why she makes certain decisions."

"Just now you said 'we', does that mean…" Yori asked with anticipation as she stopped.

"Yes, I accept. If you would still have me?" Ron replied as he turned to look at her.

Yori simply bowed, "It would be our great honor to have you return to Yamanouchi."

Ron could only offer a weak smile

* * *

"So not only did you blame Ron for what happened, get him to leave, but you kicked out Yori and the Yamanouchi Ninjas… may I ask what the hell was going through your mind when you did this?" Monique asked with a worried look.

"Rage, Monique, that's why I blamed him… as for the ninjas, the only reason they even offered to help us was because Ron had requested it. It didn't feel right having them continue to help us if Ron was leaving… besides with this it opens a second front against Drakken. You don't really think Ron would just sit back and watch what is happening do you?" Kim asked as she leaned back on her chair.

"Yeah, that boy as soon as he's able to will strike back against Drakken."

"Hopefully this will distract Drakken long enough for us to find a different means of winning this war." Kim suddenly pulled out an old notebook and placed it on the table. Monique gave her a questioning look before reaching for it and opening it.

"Is this?"

"Yeah, the notebook Wade had used the night he disappeared." Kim mumbled as she rested her head on the table.

"For someone who loved being on the computer he was certainly old fashion."

"Wade used to write notes on notebooks only when working on something completely top secret, something about written word being completely hacker proof… or so he said."

"So… your going to try to build a time machine?"

"Yes, and with it hopefully stop this from ever happening."

Monique gave her a slight frown, "You think this could solve it all?"

"If we can stop Drakken from the beginning… we stop this whole time line from happening." Kim's eyes hardened as she had a far off look in her eyes.

* * *

"Kim… Kim are you okay?"

"Huh? Wha… Wade I was just-"

"You told me I wouldn't understand and then you just stood there for aminute or two." Wade replied as he looked at Monique.

"Sorry, I haven't slept for a couple of days." Kim replied as she rubbed her temples.

"Kim, I get it, you don't want to talk about it, but it doesn't make this alright by any means."

"Wade, if we succeed in sending you back, what I've done now won't matter in the long run. We have to get you back by any means necessary, even if we have to resort to doing what Drakken is doing."

Wade gave her a sad look and simply shook his head before muttering a low, "Fine."

"Kim, even if we manage to locate the machine, even if we get lucky and somehow surmise their defenses, we may not have the manpower to overtake them." Monique added as she got close to Kim. "You do realize that it may be the only way to actually accomplish this."

"No, we don't need it."

"Need what?" Wade asked with genuine curiosity.

"Help, and from the only other group to resist Drakken besides Global Justice." Monique answered. "We may need to call for some backup from Japan."

"You mean?" Wade asked with some understanding.

"We might have to call Ron." Kim answered in an unhappy tone.

* * *

**Things will get explained more in the next chapter, *BUMM BUMM BUUUUUUMMM***

**No seriously they will!**


	11. Time to Return

**Mr. Nice Guy **

**CH11: Time to Return**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible  
**

The fire raged as the dark figure continued to walk forward and finally stopped to sit down on a large piece of metal debris on the ground. Small explosions could be heard in the background as the figure removed its mask and dirty blonde hair shown from the light of the flames.

"Another base fallen… another failure to locate Shego." Ron muttered as he stabbed the Lotus Blade into the ground in front of him and sat on the fallen debris of a walker's head.

"Still I would consider this a success," Yori replied as she made her way to his side, "We managed to rescue many refugees and destroyed the Walkers in this sector."

"The walkers are secondary Yori… you know that. What I want is that woman's head."

"And you will have it; you have grown strong since your return."

Ron nodded before standing up and retrieving the blade from the ground. As he sheathed his sword eight figures appeared around him.

"Area is cleared Master Sensei."

"Good, make sure you take the refugees to the designated rendezvous point. We don't want any surprises from Drakken." Ron replied, "Oh and Yoshi, make sure you take the Southern Valley, it'll allow for better cover just in case."

The Ninja nodded as he stood and the figures disappeared into the shadows.

"Being a bit cautious, aren't we?" Yori asked with a smirk.

"You know how things can easily get out of hand... besides you can never be too careful." Ron replied in an almost monotone voice as he turned his back to her.

Yori frowned a bit. Ron had grown colder over the years, and seemed to always be on his guard no matter the reason. She reached out to touch him, but stopped short before pulling away and replying, "Ron I think-"

She stopped and stood in attention as was Ron. Something was moving around the shadows and it wasn't one of their group. Yori and Ron both held to the hilt of their blades but Ron relaxed a bit and Yori followed suit.

"Itakagi, get a move on it!" Ron yelled. The air seemed to relax a bit as a young ninja stood from the shadows with a nervous smile.

"I guess it's another failure for me. I can't seem to be able to sneak up on you." The teenager replied.

"I guess this isn't your lucky day," Ron replied. "What do you have for us?"

"Message from Nakamura, we've received a coded message from the states. It's using an old encryption method but the council still requires your presence."

"States… Global Justice?" Yori asked.

"Must be…" Ron muttered. "How long ago did we receive the message?"

"Sensei, I'm fast… so not too long ago."

Ron raised an eyebrow before moving forward and grabbing him. "Pride is ignorance with another name. Be confident in your skill, but do not overlook your opponent as well."

"Uh… yes sir!" The teenager muttered as Ron let him go. "I was just… Thank you for the lesson."

"You're a good ninja. I want you to become great." Ron replied without malice. "Yori, let's head back. I'm interested in this message."

Yori nodded as she agreed. Although they had once worked together, they had not heard from Global Justice in years and having contact now, coupled with the odd movements of Shego, made her curious as the situation that was happening.

Ron's gaze seemed to harden as he moved.

* * *

"Why Shego, so nice of you to join us." A confident Drakken called out.

"You know I make time for you Dr. D. What seems to be the big occasion?" Shego replied with minimal annoyance. Her attitude from the previous years gone now that they had actually accomplished their goal; she seemed more inclined to listen now.

"Well that depends on how you look at the situation." Drakken mused as he stood and motioned for Shego to follow. They moved to another room that was overlooking a mass production line. The syntho drones worked non-stop as they continued to produce parts and built Walkers. Warmonga stood in attention overlooking the operation. "Warmonga, inform Shego what you reported to me."

"As you wish Great Blue," Warmonga replied as she turned to Shego, "Our cruisers in Orbit have detected a large influx of exotic particles in the heartland of Drakengia."

"I'm sorry, but that means diddly squat to me." Shego commented as she crossed her arms, "You might as well be speaking Lowardian to me."

"What she means basically is that a large rift in space was created that allowed these particles to escape." Drakken tried to clarify. "You know what that means?"

"Dr. D, no offense, but if all you called me for was for science lessons, then I have to say I got better things to do… namely to hunt down some certain ninjas." Shego muttered as she started to walk away.

"It means there was a time rift."

Shego paused. She turned to look over her shoulder, "I thought you said your machine was preventing something like that happening."

"This was not an exit rift, but an entry." Drakken smiled as he pulled out a remote control and pressed a button to bring out a screen. "And I must say this is a doozy."

The screen flashed as a recording started to play. At first it was the usual, a walker doing its job of patrolling a neighborhood for any escaped refugees when suddenly a familiar figure appeared on screen. Shego, now interested, moved closer for a better look. As the picture zoomed in for confirmation, Drakken stopped the footage.

"My, my, if it isn't little Kim Possible's techie." Shego muttered. "That would explain why we could never find him… and why we had such an easy time hiding ourselves before the initial attack."

"Who knew the boy would be lost in time." Drakken added with a vile smile.

"I am sorry Great Blue, but Warmonga does not know what a "techie" is, could you please explain?" Warmonga commented behind them.

"That," Drakken pointed to Wade, "is a "techie" Warmonga… and that will be your primary target if you ever come across him." Drakken explained as he turned to Shego, "That goes for you too. If we manage to kill him, then we don't have to worry about anything anymore. There will literally be nothing they could do to stop me!"

"Whoa, hold on. How is killing Kim's tech guru going to insure our overall victory?" Shego asked.

"Yes, Warmonga also ask how this is possible."

"Simple, the only reason we achieved victory is as you put it Shego, he was not there. If we kill him, we stop his return permanently, and the timeline will stay as it is. There will be no way for the timeline to correct itself… as long as we eliminate him from the equation."

"That actually makes sense… but if that's the case, then it's to be reason that Kimmie will try to send him back. They're going to try to build their time machine again."

"And they will fail like the previous attempts. Thanks to our mole in Global Justice we knew of their goals and foiled them for a change." Drakken walked towards his bar and poured himself a drink. "Even now that they know of the device that prevents them from opening a hole through time, they can't win. Not when I have dozens around the world working together… ha, hahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Well if there's nothing else-" Shego started to say as she turned to leave before being stopped by Drakken's words.

"Oh but there is Shego… don't you want to hear how it will all end?"

"All end?"

"Yes." Drakken answered as he stepped behind his desk and sat on his comfy chair. "You see Shego I grow weary of this game of cat and mouse. I feel that I've… how should you say… "outgrown" this game. It bores me. I think it's time we ended it… permanently."

"Oooh, now you got me interested." Shego smiled as she walked to the seat in front of his desk and sat down. "What's the plan, "Great Blue"?" Shego made the air quotes as she leaned back and rested her feet on his desk.

"I've instructed my mole to produce the information of the location of the largest SSPN device."

"The doo hickey that stops time travel?"

"Yes." Drakken replied as he rolled his eyes, "The doo hickey that stops time travel. Like I was saying, I've instructed him to produce the location of the largest SSPN device. This will undoubtedly force them to assault the location in the hopes of destroying the machine. This will, of course, be futile as there are others out there that are still transmitting."

"Are we going to allow them to destroy such device?" Warmonga asked as she crossed her arms, "I will not allow that to befall on a location controlled by the Great Blue."

"I agree Warmonga. That's why I was thinking of planning a… surprise for our eventual guest." Drakken explained as he leaned forward, "I was hoping you would like to be a part of the great finale."

"Dr. Drakken, I've been waiting for you to say that to me ever since you asked me to let them go that night eight years ago." Shego uttered in genuine happiness.

"Yes," Dr. Drakken replied with a look of nostalgia in his eyes, "That was a perfect night… wasn't it?"

Dr. Drakken stood up with vigor as he started to recall that night, "The planning, the acting… who would have thought that allowing them to build hope and then suddenly crushing it right in front of them would be so rewarding? We planned for so long, allowing them to win, allowing them to think they had turned the tide of the war and in the end…

"We killed that pathetic Director and crushed the alliance between those ninjas and Global Justice… not to mention the sweet bonus of breaking Team Possible."

"I got to hand it to you Dr. D, watching Kimmie's little heart breaking right in front of me…" Shego shuddered in excitement, "Makes me want to wish I had taken a picture to keep forever."

"While I agree that having them destroyed then would have been the cherry on top… well, sometimes you have to leave the best for last." Drakken smiled, "And boy did I save the best for now."

The trio laughed again, they were celebrating the coming destruction of their enemies, and they were savoring the time till then.

* * *

Ron walked forward with Yori by his side, walking past ninjas bowing to him in respect, and marched through the doors to the Council Chambers.

"Yori wait for me here," Ron ordered as Yori simply nodded in return.

"Master Sensei, glad that you could join us." Genji muttered through a false smile. The older gentleman dressed in dark robes edged with red gave him a polite bow.

Ron returned a respectful bow.

"I must say that this situation is quite curious." Zetsu stated as he looked over his horned rimmed glasses. The eldest of the council members wore green robes with patches of purple. His dislike for Ron as Master Sensei was well known. "To receive a message from a group that broke their alliance with us… an alliance done out of consideration to you, Master Sensei is quite curious."

"The council recognizes the arrival of Master Sensei, Ron Stoppable." Hannabi declared as she waved him to approach the table. The only female ninja to ever be a part of the Yamanouchi War Council was the only one to respect Ron and approve of his appointment of Master Sensei, a fact that irritated the other council members to no end. "Do you know why we are receiving communications from a former ally?"

"No ma'am. I am unaware the reason as to why we received such a message. If it's okay with the council I would like to hear it." Ron asked with a polite bow.

The council members looked to each other and nodded, "We have yet to read the message." Genji replied as he picked up a sheet of paper and began to read.

"To the Yamanouchi Clan, we need urgent reinforcements as we believe the end of this war is at hand. We have information that leads us to believe…" Genji paused before showing it to Zetsu, Hannabi and finally passed it to Ron. "This is absurd."

"I must agree. This message is nothing but a ploy to get us to return to their ailing side. What I don't understand is why they would even say such things." Zetsu added.

"Because it is not a ploy," Ron muttered. "We all know it is possible."

"Yes, possible by way of mysticism. Not by the hands of mere mortals." Zetsu replied.

"But the possibility exist," Hannabi commented as she looked at the others. "If they claim that they could end this war, we should consider it."

"By rewriting history?" Genji asked. "That is absurd. What more right do they have over us? If it was as simple as returning to the past, the gods would allow us to use the idol to do so, not have it destroyed by this Drakken character."

"We don't have the right to change the past but, we do have the duty to correct it." Ron replied calmly. "If what the message is true, then we have a duty to return Wade to his time."

"Ludicrous!" Zetsu exclaimed, "You believe it is our duty to return a boy? What difference will one boy make? You just wish to return to this group to join your former friends."

"I have no friends in Global Justice… except for one, Wade Load. As the council knows I was a part of a team that fought Drakken. He was a major contributor to that team. Without him we were lost and we weren't able to prevent the initial invasion." Ron looked to each member. "I believe that if we return him we can correct the mistakes that were made to this timeline."

"You wish to use this boy to wipe your mistakes, Red Sage?" Zetsu muttered. "The first Master Sensei to fall so far from our teachings… how pitiful."

"The mistakes that I may or may not have made are irrelevant. The matter at hand is what's relevant."

"Then let us vote. Those in favor of sending our forces to aid this Global Justice, present your vote." Genji looked as only Hannabi raised her hand.

"Those opposed?" Zetsu and Genji both raised their hands.

"Then it is concluded. We will deny this request, and we will decline any more messages coming from this source."

"Then I must inform the council of my leave of absence. As well as the fact that I will be taking any ninja or pupil who wishes to join me." Ron informed as he stood.

"This council does not approv-" Zetsu started to complain before being interrupted by Ron.

"I care not what the council approves. This may very well be the end of this war, and with it the end of the councils decisions. We all know that your best interest lie with the war continuing. Many of the decisions this council has made have come to be questioned."

"As well as many of your decisions, Master Sensei… do not think you are beyond criticism." Genji muttered.

"While I agree that many of my decisions were unpopular with the council, my interest has always been the end of this war. The return of peace to the people of Earth and I can say that with pride, which is why I believe I have every ninja's respect out in the battlefield." Ron replied with unwavering determination. "That is also why I will go against this council if I must to end this war."

"Ron, while I sympathize with you on this issue, I must agree with the rest of this council. Once an issue has been voted on, the decision is final." Hannabi informed him with a frown. "Do not go against this council and suffer the consequences."

Ron nodded with understanding. "We know this council only appears during stages of war. During a time that the safety of and communication with the Master Sensei of the clan is in jeopardy. I know I have not been a popular choice to replace the former Master Sensei, my mentor and my friend, but I have done everything asked of me. This… this decision was not taken lightly… but I believe this to be the only way to correct the damage done by this war."

"Master Sensei, if you lead this mission, any ninja with you will also suffer the same fate." Zetsu exclaimed with disgust. "Do you wish to inflict such punishment to them?"

"I will only take those willing to do everything to stop this war, only those willing to sacrifice everything."

Ron stepped out of the council chambers and turned to Yori, "Gather any and all ninjas willing to go to the states to help Global Justice with a mission of theirs."

"What mission?" Yori asked as they started to walk down the corridor.

"They found Wade."

"Wade… Wade Load? Kim Possible's tech guru?"

Ron turned to her and nodded, "Yes. They need help getting to a device and destroying it."

"Shall I gather our main force?"

"No, this is not an official mission. Council has denied the request but I'm going anyway with anyone willing to follow."

Yori stopped. "You're going against the council? Why?"

"Because I believe Master Sensei and what he told me the day he died." Ron answered and then smiled. "How can I go against the advice of the greatest man I know?"

Yori smiled back, "It has been a long time since I've seen you smile at all."

"True… now go and gather as many as you can. I'll head to communications and send a reply message. Let's go, we have work to do."

* * *

"Even with all the simulations with different variables the odds still do not improve over ten percent." James muttered as he presented his report. "May I also add how odd it is to see you out of your Battle Suit?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean, but Wade insisted on upgrading it now that he had a chance." Kim replied as she looked over the report. "Have you calculated the results with Yamanouchi ninjas?"

"As we haven't heard from them yet if they agree to help and if they do how they can help, I can't make any correct calculations."

*Knock knock*

"Kim, we just got word." Monique marched to her and handed the message. "What do you think?"

"I have to say its good we're getting help." Kim muttered with an annoyed look.

"It sounds like Ron is leading the group." Monique added.

"He doesn't say how many troops he's bringing, just that he'll be here soon… he'll meet up with us in the usual location." Kim frowned as did Monique.

"I thought it was a message between both of you… do you know where he's talking about?" Monique asked.

"I… I can't remember."

"Remember what?" Wade asked as he entered the room with Michael.

"We got a reply from Ron, looks like he'll help and he wants to meet up in the usual location." Kim informed him.

"Speaking of meeting up, I didn't think you were meeting up with Michael." Monique added in a hush voice towards Wade.

"We just met outside the door," Wade responded with a look of disgust towards Michael, "But he might be talking about your usual hang out back in the day."

"Of course!" Kim and Monique responded at the same time.

"Bueno Nacho… except…"

"Except that place was destroyed a long time ago… one of the first places to get destroyed." Monique finished.

"I think it had something to do with the first time we foiled his almost take over the world plot…" Kim murmured with a smile before snapping to, "I guess he wishes to meet at the location were it used to stand."

"I'm sorry to interrupt your brainstorm Director but we need to discuss the information acquired just recently." Michael stepped forward, "In private if you could."

Kim gave him a long look before responding, "Monique, Wade, James, please leave us alone. We need to discuss some things."

"Sure." "Okay…" Yes Ma'am."

Wade and Monique just walked in silence before Wade opened up.

"Was it just me or was Kim not as angry about Ron as I thought?"

"I don't think she was ever angry at Ron. I think she was just angry at herself."

"What makes you say that?"

Monique shrugged her shoulders, "Just a feeling I get, you know?"

"I guess… I wonder what they're talking about in private?"

"Considering it's Michael… probably something dealing with security." Monique muttered. "Let's get something to drink. Come on my treat."

Wade smiled, he couldn't wait for this to be over.

* * *

"Stoppable… san, I am glad to see *cough* you before my time… is up."

"Master Sensei, please just rest… save your strength." Ron held his mentors hand while he tried to calm him down.

Master Sensei simply shook his head no, "There is little time… I have *cough* but one final advice."

Ron gave him a sad look before nodding. Master Sensei took a deep breath.

"Time is of the essence… it is like a flowing river, forever going forward with rapid succession. Do not allow the bleating of sheep to confuse your dedication to the flock. Just as one must heed the call of nature and return a baby bird to its nest. Do not *cough*"

"Sensei!"

Master Sensei raised his hand as he took one more deep breath, "Do not forget that deception comes in many shapes and forms as that is its nature but know that the truth will break through the chains of deceit."

Ron nodded. He didn't quite understand what he meant, but those words would be forever etched to his heart.

"Make… me proud… Stoppable."

And just as he once lived… he died.

"I'll make you proud, Sensei." Ron bowed in respect, and to hide the tears that fell from his lone eye.

"Stoppable… Stoppable…"

"Ron-kun!"

Ron snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at Yori moving beside him.

"Sorry to interrupt your thoughts but we are arriving soon."

"Thanks." Ron noticed something in the horizon and quickly motioned for the group to stop. "Something's off."

"We are deep in enemy territory." One of the other ninjas added.

"No… something else... Yori take Aoki, Kimura, and Ishida and approach the perimeter from the west."

"Why?"

"Just a feeling… if I'm wrong we'll laugh about it later."

Yori nodded and motioned for the ninjas mentioned to follow her.

"Yoshi and Ichiro you're with me."

"What about us?" Itakagi asked as he pointed to himself and Kyoske.

"You're back-up. You see the signal you rush in. Let's go."

* * *

"It's close to the meeting time, where is he?" Kim muttered. She was obviously not happy with the situation. Wade simply continued to work on the suit, determined to give a better fighting chance when the battle began, and demanded to work on the suit. She had relented, reluctantly, and was surprised to see the amount of scars she had under the suit.

He then realized that even though the suit regenerated and prevented many of her injuries, some wounds would penetrate and stay with her. He was suddenly determined to advance it to a point where she could survive anything.

"He still has time to show up, don't worry." Monique told her as she kept her eyes on her friend. "Besides, you know Will Du will call as soon as they spot them."

Kim smiled, "Your right, it's just that… I can't shake the feeling-"

"WE HAVE COMPANY! Multiple Charlies heading to our twenty, I repeat multiple charlies!"

"Drakken is here! Secure the perimeter. Monique protect Wade! Make sure nothing happens to him." Kim ordered as she pulled out her blaster out.

The roof suddenly collapsed as a Diablo-Walker smashed through and began to fire its lasers inside. Kim immediately ordered return fire.

The blast from Global Justice seemed to have no effect on the large machine as it simply crashed through the wall and started to make its way inside. Global Justice Agents scattered away trying to avoid the oncoming onslaught. Kim instead opted to run towards it, firing her grappling hook and swinging on top of it.

The walker after registering this action tried to swipe her away, only to fail as Kim flipped through the outstretched claw and landed. She quickly planted magnetic explosives on some of the machines joints, turned and leapt off.

The timer rang followed by a series of explosions, the agents paused and waited for the tell tale signs of a walker collapsing, of metal bending and breaking. All they heard was hydraulics as he walker marched out of the cloud of fire and towards Kim, without a single scratch.

"They're improved!" one of the agents screamed as the rest of them took cover and began to fire back.

"Aim for the optical cameras on top, we have to blind them!" Kim screamed as she dashed out of the way and behind cover.

The walker kept returning fire and making its way towards Kim before stopping. It then turned and began to pursue something else.

"Why would… WADE!" Kim watched as the Walker charged its main cannon.

The machine recorded an error in its firing sequence before something showed up in front of its optical feed and terminated the function. With the main cannon charged, but no way to release the energy, the machine exploded and began to crumble down the floor.

Kim turned to look at the figure standing a few feet away from the collapsed walker. The figure was clearly a ninja, but his gi was more ornamental than the ones she was used to seeing. Two other figures appeared in regular black gi and bowed.

"Yoshi, Ichiro, make sure you head to the outside perimeter and backup Yori with the other walkers, call for Itakagi and Kyoske as well, tell them to survey the perimeter for more Walkers, but not to engage."

The ninjas bowed and disappeared.

"Ron?" The ninja turned to look back at Kim who had called. "Is that you?"

The ninja nodded. He was dressed completely in black. The mask revealed only his right eye and wore a vest surrounded by various pouches and weapons.

"My forces spotted the walkers and are taking care of the perimeter.

"Ron?" Wade called out as he made his way to his friends.

"Wade… you're really here." Ron muttered as he removed his mask to reveal his blond hair and a smile. "Yeah, it's me."

Wade could definitely see some of the old Ron there, but could also see how the future treated him. His hair was the same as it had always been, short and messy, but his facial features were marred by scars and a large burn over his left eye that had closed it shut.

"Can we moving, our location has been obviously compromised, and we have a lot to discuss." Monique added as she smiled at Ron, "It's good to see you."

"I didn't think my message could be interpreted. I specifically sent it like that to avoid this situation." Ron replied.

"It's not your fault, but I know of who it is…" Kim muttered as she motioned for the group to follow. They slowly approached a young man, "James, mind telling us what's going on?"

James looked at Kim and then at the rest of the group, "Um… we just got attacked by Drakken?"

"No, like how they knew we were here?"

"I… I don't know what you mean?" James started to stutter before suddenly pulling a miniature blaster. The action was fast, Ron was faster. The moment James realized what had happened he had a slash down his arm and a blade held to his throat.

"Do you know what I do with traitors?" Ron asked.

James face quickly transformed to another, "I know what you do to your victims, ninja."

"How did you know?" Wade asked.

"He's probably been a mole for a long time… but since he was head of research and development, he knew how to circumvent most of our diagnostic tools." Kim started to explain, "Michael was the one to find out we had a mole among us, someone high ranking and staying low."

"And the location of this meeting was known only by us, and James who happened to be in the room at the time." Monique added.

"Yeah…" Kim agreed before turning to James, "How much does Drakken know?"

"I won't tell you anything."

"That's okay, I'm pretty sure Michael would love to have a talk with you." Kim muttered before motioning for some agents to take him away.

"Let's move the location. We need time to change the plan." Monique suggested again.

"I agree." Wade added.

The group looked towards Kim before another figure appeared. "Stoppable-sensei, all Diablo-Walkers have been neutralized."

"Where's Yori?"

"On the roof, she's keeping eye on the perimeter for any other attacks."

Ron nodded, "Good, report to me if you find anything new."

The ninja bowed before disappearing. Ron turned to the others, "If Drakken knows we're here then we need to make a move quickly."

"That's good, but we need to know how many troops you brought." Kim stated.

"Besides myself, eight."

"Just eight, what happened?"

"Council wasn't really happy for the reason for sending troops, or happy about how the alliance ended the first time, Kim." Ron explained. "I believed the message but it wasn't my call of where to send troops. Consider yourself lucky we could even bring anyone with us."

"I'm sorry, it's just… you have to understand we needed more people to be able to accomplish this mission. Nine ninjas are not going to help as much as we hoped."

"We'll do the job. That you don't have to worry about." Ron replied a bit forcefully. "Now I suggest we move out to another location, maybe somewhere a few clicks south from here."

"One of the older bases?" Monique asked.

"We just need someplace to rest quickly and plan the assault." Ron answered, "Unless you have a better location."

Kim paused for a bit before agreeing. "Let's go."

* * *

"The location has been verified, that is definitely the location where the device is located." Kim muttered as they surveyed the map.

"Good, then my forces and I will lead the main assault through the front gate this should allow some time for your troops to sneak in." Ron muttered as he looked over the information.

"I was going to have my agents lead the main assault."

"And they would struggle and die, just like they were struggling earlier. I'll lead the main assault, use the distraction to assault the inside and destroy the machine. Once we're done outside we'll head inside to back you up."

"Ron that's…" Kim started to object but could already see that he was determined to his plan. "perfectly fine. Monique, round up the troops we'll be attacking in a few hours."

Monique nodded and moved to spread the order. Kim turned to see Ron speak to a ninja and it suddenly disappear. Ron turned to look at her.

"Ron, I want to talk to you alone if we could-"

"Sorry Kim, I don't have that kind of time. Besides, I think everything that needed to be said between us has already been spoken." Ron stated before bowing, "I have to go talk to my men and have them move to position."

Ron disappeared as well and left her there alone.

"Are you still mad at him?" Wade asked.

"The funny thing is… I was never really mad at him." Kim replied.

"Here," Wade offered the battle suit back, "I reinforced the metallic alloy, it should be have a better resistance to damage, improved the shield, updated the suit with a cloaking system, and insulated the suit against electrical shocks… you know, just in case."

"Wade you rock." Kim told him as she gave him her trademark smile. Wade smiled back. Hopefully this would all work out.

* * *

Ron watched the fortification, judging the possibilities and weighing the possible outcomes, when he heard familiar footsteps from behind, "Yori, what's the status?"

"Everything is as we expected, this place is truly a fortress, almost impenetrable." Yori informed him as she stood next to him. "How was your meeting with Possible?"

"The usual when one is planning an assault, although she did ask to talk in private."

"And what did she say?"

"I declined. There's no point to discuss anything personal now." Ron replied in a monotone voice.

"Do you still harbor feelings for her?" Yori asked genuinely.

"No… after all these years, it was pointless to continue having feelings for someone who never felt the same for you." Ron replied truthfully.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I should be the one apologizing Yori… I'm sorry we couldn't make us work." Ron locked his eyes with hers, "That's one of my many regrets right now."

"Maybe in another lifetime?" Yori replied with a weak smile and then gave him a small frown. "Although I do have a confession to make… something that could change your mind about… about me."

Ron was surprised, "What is it?"

"I was the one who asked for Kim to force you to come with us."

* * *

"He's really hurt… and its all my fault." Kim muttered as she sat alone.

"That is true," Yori stated as she stood in front of her, "Although I still fail to understand how you forgot about the mission."

"I don't know what happened… one moment everything is going okay and the next… I'm watching you kill Erik."

"Something you should have done from the beginning… but that is neither here or there. I wish to talk to you about Ron." Yori started to say, "And the sudden need for him to leave for Yamanouchi."

"What? Why does he need to go to Yamanouchi?" Kim asked as she tried to guess where the conversation was going to.

"He is in grave danger here, a danger you are not capable of helping him in."

"I know I messed up, but I know it won't happen again."

"Whatever misunderstanding you have about Ron now, does not concern with the true reason why I'm asking for your help." Yori took a deep breath to help calm her nerves, "You know of Ron's powers?"

"His Mystical Monkey Powers… yes, why?"

"His powers are but only a face of a coin, one half of larger whole. His powers have been stunted by the events that lead to his loss of family as well as the beginning of this war." Yori gave Kim a serious gaze, "But I am afraid he may have fallen even further than his intended path… he has fallen to the path of the Yono."

"You want to make me believe he's turning evil?"

"That does not seem to be the case this time… at least I hope not. But his ability has taken a different form in order for him to survive, a form that requires his complete rage in order to work. I believe this is because of his lack of access to the original source."

Kim paused as she mulled what she was told over. "If he doesn't leave… what could happen?"

"We may lose the Ron Stoppable we know."

"He may not want to leave." Kim added.

"I know. He has strong feelings for you… although I still wonder why you have yet to reciprocate them."

Kim stood up as she rubbed her arms, "I can't love him… if I did and he left… I… I'm not sure what I would do."

"Fear… it is said to be the root of insanity… the reason that makes us both strong, and makes us weak." Yori stated as she started to walk away, "But for once I hope you make a decision for him, and not for yourself."

"You love him… don't you?"

"I do, I will not deny that I have strong feelings of affection for him. But his well being is foremost my main concern." Yori then walked away.

* * *

"So you see Ron, I was the reason why she said those things to you… why she pushed you away… I'm sorry if I disappoint you." Yori lowered her head.

"You did that out of concern for me not malice… besides you were right." Ron lifted her face towards him. "I needed help, and only Yamanouchi could help me with that. Besides that's all in the past. We need to get ready."

Yori leaned over and kissed him. "For luck"

"Let's hope so." Ron gave her a goofy smile before pulling away. "We need to focus on the task at hand."

"That smile, I haven't seen it in a long time." Yori replied before donning her mask.

"I haven't felt like this in a long time," Ron stated as he put his mask on, "But seeing Wade has made me feel like the old me."

"Then let's hope we bring those times back."

Ron nodded in agreement, "Order Itakagi and Kyoske to run recon inside the building. Once they find the machine to call in, no moves to destroy it yet, we don't know what that would do. Grab Yoshi and Kimura, you three are the cavalry."

Yori started to protest put Ron motioned for her to remain quiet, "I need you to jump in as soon as the main force appears. I want to keep them guessing. I'll take the rest and lead them myself."

Yori nodded and disappeared into the shadows, a few seconds later two other figures appeared by his side.

"Aoki, Ishida, and Ichiro, we'll take out the cameras and sensors, I want them blind." Ron motioned for them to move out.

* * *

"Are you sure they're going to attack here… tonight."

"Shego, Yes I'm sure… why else would I personally come here for? I came to see them crushed and finally remove these thorns from my side, forever." Drakken ranted as he turned to look at Shego and Warmonga. "I want them destroyed here, understood?"

"Yes, Great Blue!" Warmonga answered.

Shego smiled, "As long as I get to kill one of those two, I'm happy."

Drakken smiled and turned to look at the workers on their stations monitoring the security cameras. Suddenly a feed went out, followed by another.

"Sir, I believe they're here."

The feeds continued to go out one by one as sensors, cameras, and microphones were all destroyed or disabled. The last camera caught a glimpse of a one eyed ninja destroying it.

"Bring the secondary cameras online, send the new Walkers out, and make sure to keep an eye out on the perimeter." Drakken ordered with a grin, "I'm pretty sure Kim Possible isn't too far behind."

"I'll take the jolly green giant and set up the welcoming committee." Shego stated with a grin, "I have to remind them of who is the boss."

Shego walked out as Warmonga bowed and followed. Dr. Drakken could only laugh with enjoyment as the new video feeds became operational and showed the walkers beginning their assault on the small group of ninjas.

"Now this is what I call entertainment."

* * *

Kim watched as the ninjas began their assault by destroying the first walker that appeared. She motioned for her assault group to move quickly. The radio crackled to life and relayed the message.

"This is Will Du. Blue Team is in place and ready to commence."

"Jim Dunn speaking, Green Team is in place and ready to commence."

Kim nodded and took a deep breath. This assault could be the last thing they would ever do, and she was happy with her decision to leave Monique behind to protect Wade, "Better safe than sorry."

"This is Director Possible, Red Team is ready. All teams green-light, go, go, go!"

Kim ordered her group to advance as fast as possible, leaving most of the fighting for Ron and his ninjas while they advanced inside and proceeded with little difficulty. Just before she headed inside she watched as the ground opened up and revealed another group of walkers. Part of her wanted to help another knew the mission came first.

The sudden appearance of another three ninjas made her choice easier as she turned and headed towards their objective.

* * *

Ron dodged another blast as he pulled his chain and his Lotus Blade. He expected the initial forces, he even expected the hidden walkers appearing from underground. What he didn't expect was for the Walkers to be stronger than the ones they had faced in their previous assault.

Using the chain he ran up the Walker's leg and sliced it with the Lotus Blade. The Diablo-Walker tried to turn but the missing leg caused the large machine to tip over when Aoki and Ishida hit the other leg with outstanding force.

Ron transformed the Lotus Blade to a naginata, spun it, and used his falling momentum to slice the machines head off. It sparked before creating a small explosion and the ninjas moved on to the next target.

The ninjas moved with determination, precision, and efficiency as they carried out their attacks. Constantly moving from one target to the next, using the Walkers inherent weakness of a slow reaction.

The ninjas were quick. They learned, they adapted, and continued to perfect their art, the reason why they exist even to this day. As Ron pierced the head of the last Walker, the floor opened up to reveal something of bigger. Ron could only stare as the creature finally made it out of housing and began to move towards them.

"You've got to be kidding me… THAT would be so cool if it wasn't trying to kill us."

* * *

Drakken watched as his Walkers were being obliterated by the ninjas one by one. The old Drakken would have been in a frenzy, but the current Drakken simply prepared for everything.

"Dr. Drakken, we've lost all of the Walkers, would you like for me to proceed?"

"Yes, give them my surprise." Drakken cackled in delight. The man entered the code and watched the floor split open to reveal a large robot, at least ten times the size of a Diablo-Walker. The large robot stepped forward with its ten legs, raised its tail as it charged its plasma cannon, and clawed at the ninjas with its two massive claws.

"Enjoy my gift ninjas, for it will be your last! You will not survive battle with the Leviathan!" Drakken yelled with arrogance.

"I thought you were just going to call it "Giant Scorpion" sir."

"Shut up fool, I said it looked like a giant scorpion, but it's called the Leviathan." Drakken shouted. He rolled his eyes before muttering to himself, "It's so hard to find good help these days. It doesn't matter, they'll never survive battle with it, it's impossible."

* * *

Kim fired back as she leapt forward, rolled towards cover, and began to reload. "I'm thinking Ron got the easy job." She muttered as she fired back again.

"This is green leader, we're experiencing heavy resistance," The background noise reflected that fact.

"Can you make it back down?"

"Negative Red leader, we can't advance or retreat… all I can say is, it has been a pleasure serving you ma'am."

Kim took a deep breath as she understood what he meant, "The pleasure was all mine."

"Green leader… out."

Red team could hear a large explosion throughout the whole building. Kim silently thanked them as she motioned for the team to move forwards and leapt forward, attacking and disabling the last guards. They continued down the corridor when Will Du called over the radio, "Blue Leader here, objective spotted, we're currently trying to assault the room and take control of it."

"Agent Du, hang back and wait for my arrival." Kim ordered as she motioned for her team to head to his location.

"Yes ma'am, we'll- negative, that's a negative we've been spotted! Subjects Viper and Jack are within the vicinity, and we're now currently under attack!"

Kim rushed forward. The codenames Jack and Viper was for Warmonga and Shego, and if both were present… She wasn't sure she could take both of them on. The last time they had faced, Kim had barely escaped with her life and now…

"Move double TIME!" She ordered as they moved forward, if they moved fast enough they could still have time.

* * *

Ron watched as the scorpion-like machine came to life and began to attack them, tail lighting up as it charged its attack.

"Move! Scatter!" Ron screamed as the ninjas around him disappeared and moved away from the area.

It took the cannon almost have a minute to charge and fire, obliterating the area it targeted.

He could see the devastation left behind and headed towards the massive robot and stopped as he barely avoided the blasts of a Diablo-Walker. Ron turned to see an army of them descend upon them.

"Use the Walkers!" Ron ordered as he rushed after the smaller robots. The larger scorpion-like machine began to track Ron while the smaller Walkers did the same, only to fire upon each other. He avoided the initial barrage and leapt to another Walker.

Use their power against them… Ron thought to himself as he pierced the head of the Diablo-Walker.

The rest of the ninjas were doing the same, using the various Walkers as shields. The group continued to keep moving, trying to avoid the blasts from the cannons, and continue to destroy the Walkers. They followed Ron's orders without hesitation.

Ron was surprised it was working so well, but he was also worried that the larger robot hadn't done something massive yet… that's when its plasma cannon on its tail turn from green to red.

Ron didn't know why, but part of him knew where it was going to fire. "Yori, Yoshi! MOVE!"

Both ninjas started to move away as it prepared to fire at their direction. The Leviathan fired and swept its laser across, incinerating its targets and creating secondary explosions.

Ron could only stare. His friend… his confidant… the person who had cared so much for his well being… had perished in a single blast.

Ron snapped, he allowed the power he felt envelope him, fill him with rage… he felt himself fill with power. His eye glowed red as his aura exploded and destroyed the Walker he was on with a single slice before leaping forward.

He rushed forward toward the culprit, avoiding anything that wasn't the object of his fury, and closed the gap in a matter of seconds.

The large robot used its claws and point-to-point lasers in its undercarriage to try and stop him, but this served to only infuriate him even further, making him stronger… there was no stopping him now.

Ron leapt over the claw and used it to climb to its back where he transformed the Lotus Blade into a Kanabo filled it with power, and swung down. The impact created a dreadful sound, a mixture of groans, ringing, and crushing… all mixed into one. The sound was as if the machine itself was crying from the resulting damage.

Ron swung once more as the resulting blow created an explosion that sent him flying back, the concussive blast knocking the Lotus Blade from his hands, and caused him to free fall down the robots side. Ron's mind had calmed as he fell for what seemed for a few seconds before he pulled out a chain and threw it to slow down his fall. He watched as two other shadows moved up the side of the machine and headed up, Aoki and Kimura.

"We need to destroy it from the inside!" Ron screamed as he watched them nod and continue to move forward and he landed on his feet.

Ron turned and watched the robot begin to rampage firing its plasma cannon towards the Walkers. The explosions caused more destruction, more chaos.

The explosion filled with blue fire and sparks behind him caught his attention.

"Run! Get as far away from this machine as fast as possible!" Ron yelled as he began to run, "I'm sorry Aoki… Kimura… your deaths will not be in vain!"

The scorpion-like creature exploded, releasing a massive flash that turned the night to day for a few seconds. The temperature seemed to rise and the air had an ionized taste to it. Ron rushed forward with the remaining ninjas, using the sudden flash of light as cover, and continued to try and escape the fireball behind them. Once they escaped the explosion the group took cover to take a second of rest.

"Ishida, Ichiro, cover me until I get inside then get the hell out of here. Leave and don't come back, understood?"

"No sir." Ishida simply stated.

Ron turned to look at the two remaining ninjas, "Why the HELL not?"

"We won't leave you behind. We'll stay and fight until you come out." Ichiro explained.

Ron couldn't believe what he heard, but simply shook hi head in disbelief and smiled, "You do what you want, but you can't say I didn't order you to leave."

Ron got serious as he turned and accessed his power once more, and just like that disappeared. Ron dashed forward with such speed none of the Walkers even noticed his exit and as he approached the entrance he steeled his resolve, he was going to end this by either destroying the machine, or killing Drakken, whichever came first.

* * *

Drakken had taken great enjoyment at the sight of his greatest creation and the chaos it created upon its arrival. Then the small fries got smart and instead of running away in fear like he expected, they used his creations as shields. Drakken smiled, he liked a challenge.

"Overcharge the main cannon and sweep the area." Drakken ordered. If he had to sacrifice a few of his Walkers in order to destroy these ninja than so be it.

The following attack killed a couple of them and he laughed with utter delight, His plan was working and no amount of firepower could stop him now… then he saw it.

A ninja suddenly surrounded by a red glow. It disappeared from one screen and was suddenly in another right in front of his masterpiece. It was impossible, physically impossible, and yet this ninja avoided everything around him and managed to climb his creature. The following attack created a devastating sound.

The sound made could be heard throughout the building, throughout his very being. Drakken couldn't believe his sight.

"That's impossible… it's impenetrable, indestructible… unbreakable. Its outer shell is supposed to withstand anything!" Drakken whined.

"Sir there's a breach of the outer hall, and the monitor is picking up figures heading inside the Leviathan."

"Where are they heading?"

"We don't know sir, internal sensors were never installed."

Drakken didn't like what he was hearing. These ninjas seemed to struggle against their own extermination as much ass a flea would struggle against its own death.

"Sir, we're losing control of the Leviathan… it's going into a rampage." The henchman spoke as he kept typing, "They're going to control the whole system."

Drakken couldn't have that. No one took his creation and used it against him.

"Destroy it! Activate the self destruct sequence."

The henchman typed away and watched as the monitor showed the Leviathan release a few explosions and suddenly explode into a beautiful flash that brightened the night into day.

"The explosion has overloaded the optics for most of the Diablo-Walkers."

"Reset them and have them commence attack on the remaining ninjas." Drakken muttered in disgust as he turned and started to walk away. "This game doesn't interest me anymore."

"Dr. Drakken, sir… where are you going?"

"Hopefully seeing and old foe get crushed could lift my spirit of having to destroy my greatest creation… who knows, this could be really fun."

* * *

Kim turned the corner to find the Blue Team scattered across the floor, all incapacitated or dead.

She turned around and motioned for her team to move forward, "Search for any survivors, see if they can be saved, and make sure to watch your six."

Kim kept an eye out for both survivors and enemies.

"Possible…" Kim turned to find Will Du propped against the wall, "Get out… it's a trap!"

"Hello Kimmie!" The shout came as Shego appeared with Warmonga and started to attack her team. Kim rushed forward into the fray as she tried to get their attention.

"Locate the target and destroy it, I'll handle them." Kim ordered the last agents as she swung at Shego and leapt over Warmonga's staff.

"Oh don't worry Kim, you won't have to bother with them anymore," Shego muttered as her hands crackled with both electricity and her green flames and fired at the agents, "We don't want any distractions, now do we?"

Kim flipped back when Shego fired at her direction, as she landed she ducked under Warmonga's swing and delivered a kick to the alien's midsection and followed it with another blow to her head. As she pulled back for another hit she caught a kick to her midsection and Shego followed it with a blast of her flames sending Kim flying back.

She crashed against the wall and fell to her knees. She quickly stood to her feet and got back into a fighting stance. Shego looked a bit surprised but smiled anyway.

"I'm pleasantly surprised," Shego muttered as she charged up her hands again, "Now I get to enjoy beating you for a bit longer."

She fired her blast at Kim who activated her shield and withstood the impact. Shego looked ecstatic.

"Princess got an upgrade!" Shego's smile turned vile, "You're not the only one."

Warmonga was the first to attack, charging ahead with her staff fully charged, and began to assault her shield. Shego was about to go and join in on the fun when a pair throwing stars embedded themselves in front of her feet, she turned and looked up.

"Ninjas? Did you guys make it past that large contraption of his, cause if you did, you must be the last two of your little group." Shego mused as she motioned for them to attack.

One of them motioned for the other to leave as he drew his sword and jumped towards Shego.

Shego frowned as she dodged the sword strikes, evaded his kicks and punches, and decided to just slap the ninja to make things interesting. The ninja was obviously getting furious over the lack of attention he was getting and was steadily getting frustrated to the point in which he attacked forcefully and recklessly.

"You have both eyes, you're obviously a guy so… you aren't the sidekick or his main squeeze." Shego commented as she slapped his sword away and delivered a strike to his face, a ridge strike to the throat, and spun behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck, "And they would barely be able to keep up with the current me."

A resounding crack could be heard before the ninja's body fell to the floor limp.

"Now to play with little miss goody-two shoes." Shego muttered with a smirk.

Shego watched as Kim fought with Warmonga. The battle seemed to be in equilibrium, no one had gotten the upper-hand. She watched until she saw her opening and rushed forward and struck, catching Kim with a forward thrust to her left ribcage followed by a knee to the head. Warmonga ended it with a blow to her sternum that sent her falling back to the ground.

"My, my, my… how the mighty have fallen. What's wrong Kim? Ever since Drakken took over we've been kicking you around like a rag doll. It's like you lost your fire… lost your mojo."

Kim struggled to her feet again. "I'll stop you…" She growled through clenched teeth, "Anything is possible for a Possible."

Shego looked at Kim and gave her a sinister smile, "Yeah, including dying by the hands of your most hated enemy."

The sound of something whooshing through the air caught everyone's attention. A spear landed right in front of Shego and Warmonga, all three surprised to see it, followed by someone in black use it to springboard his kick to Shego's chin and a scissor kick Warmonga's side.

The figure landed on his feet and pulled the spear out as he got to his stance.

"Who the-" Shego started to growl.

"What's wrong Shego, can't recognize your own handy-work?" the figure asked as it took its mask off to reveal his blonde hair.

"Oh, the sidekick… I'm surprised to see you still alive." Shego muttered, "I would have thought Dr. Drakken's big toy would have killed you."

"We took care of it."

"No… it's more like I didn't let you have it." A voice rang out above them. "I don't like it when people try to take my things."

"Drakken…" Ron growled, his voice venomous when he said his name, "I have something with your name on it."

"Oh," Drakken replied without batting an eye and a look of disinterest, "I don't like gifts from people like you. Shego, Warmonga, make sure you get rid of both of them."

They both rushed toward Kim and Ron. Ron ran straight towards Shego as he transformed the spear to a chain scythe and swung at Shego.

Kim for her part rolled to her right to avoid the initial swing and caught the thrusting staff to pull herself forward into a heel kick to Warmonga's head. The blow sent the large woman flying back crashing into some crates.

The battle split as Kim chased after Warmonga and Ron stayed to battle Shego. Ron held the advantage as he kept Shego off balanced with his Lotus Blade. The constant transformations to different weapons kept Shego guessing and covered Ron's openings with deadly efficiency.

Shego countered by firing her flames and electric bolts at him; and he avoided them by jumping over craters and using his speed to stay within her blind spot.

"I'm surprised to see you working with Kimmie, but I have to say it sure brings back memories," Shego egged on, "There they were, the world famous cheerleader… and the bumbling sidekick."

"True Shego," Ron replied as he rushed forward and delivered an open palm thrust to her chest, followed by knee to the stomach and finished with a leg sweep. "But I'm not the bumbling sidekick anymore… I'm Yamanouchi's Master Sensei."

Ron transformed the Lotus Blade back to a spear and started thrusting and sweeping, slashing away at Shego as she stumbled back trying to regain some footing, and finally transformed the spear to a blade as he slashed down across Shego's chest.

"That should be the end of things…" Ron muttered as Shego stumbled back, but instead of her falling down dead she just started to laugh. Ron realized as she took a step forward. "You're not bleeding…"

"Ding ding ding, we have a winner! I'm surprised no one had figured it out yet…" Shego growled as she looked up, her eyes glowing red. She stood up and revealed a metallic coating right under the skin with his slash barely leaving a mark.

"I guess you were literal when you said that you had an upgrade." Ron muttered as he held his blade ready. He dashed forward swinging his blade, and missed as Shego ducked under the swing and delivered an uppercut to his sternum. He could feel the power behind the impact and heard a sickening sound of an organ getting punctured, but ignored it to follow through with an elbow to her face. She stepped back for a split second before responding with a backhand swing that Ron avoided by centimeters.

"You don't stand a chance sidekick… I'm faster," Shego dove forward to deliver a punch that barely made it through Ron's guard, "I'm stronger," Shego kicked him through his guard, "And more powerful than you. You're not going to win."

Ron gritted his teeth as he stumbled back, "Not yet."

Ron's eye turned red as he disappeared and delivered a kick to her face, wrapped a chain around her arm and neck and pulled her towards him, finishing it with a clothesline blow.

When Shego landed Ron transformed the chain into the spiked metal club and swung it down with such force that the ground fractured with the force. Ron growled with anger as he stood and glared at Shego who managed to escape.

"I have to say that you're definitely not the sidekick from before," Shego muttered as they both circled each other, "but that's only because of your fancy little sword there."

"It's what I'm going to use to end you." Ron growled as he rushed forward and slashed, meeting resistance as Shego used her arm to parry the blow and delivered a blow to solar plexus. Ron managed to roll to his side to avoid her next attack and struck back with his sword.

Shego shrugged the blow off and continued to attack as Ron continued to slash at her body. The usual wounds that would put a man down were not working as he found out how much of herself she had already changed. They continued to struggle for what seemed like hours before Ron began to slow down.

In frustration he charged up his fist with power and struck her, watching as she groaned from the blow. But she refused to go down as she grabbed his arm and thrust her shoulder to his stomach. She finished by knocking the blade from his hand.

Exhaustion was catching up to him as he felt more pain than usual from the blow. He saw as Shego took a swing and swung as well, both rights finding their targets.

Ron stumbled back as he struggled to maintain himself on his feet and received another blow to the stomach. Ron felt rage as he struggled to defend himself. He had power, enough power to destroy everyone who stood in his way! Destroy everyone who ever did wrong to him.

He let the power consume him as he grabbed Shego's fist and threw her across the room.

"I'll make you suffer for everything you've done!" Ron screamed with venom in his voice, the red aura completely consuming him as he moved towards her to continue his attack.

* * *

Kim avoided the staff and parried the following swing to her midsection.

Kim growled in frustration as she moved to Warmonga's side and delivered a kick. Kim wanted to fight Shego, not this jolly green giant. Still Warmonga was a handful and if she didn't focus on the fight at hand… Kim dashed forward and slid close to sweep Warmonga's legs and followed with a diving elbow to her back.

Warmonga screamed in rage as she stood and swung down at Kim as she rolled away and leapt on top of a stack of crates. In a fury Warmonga grabbed her blaster and fired towards Kim, who simply caught a blast with her battle suit and returned fire, knocking the blaster away.

The alien simply screamed with rage as it dove forward and struck the stack of crates, bringing them crashing down, as Kim quickly fired her grappling hook and swung towards Warmonga knocking her down. Kim used the momentary distraction to activate her cloaking that Wade had just installed.

Warmonga, stunned, got to her feet slowly as she tried to locate her prey. She quickly turned as she realized that her opponent was gone. "Where are you, thorn to the Great Blue!"

"I'm right HERE!" Kim screamed from behind. Warmonga turned to see her staff, fully charged, floating in mid-air before it struck her.

She followed with another strike to the alien's abdomen, then a few strikes to her limbs. Kim continued to strike until she felt bones break and saw blood run. She disabled her cloaking to look at Warmonga right in the eyes. Warmonga was staring in disbelief at the sight of her own blood.

"This is for everything you and your "Great Blue" have done!" Kim screamed as she was about to deliver the finishing blow when she heard an explosion followed by a blood-curling scream.

"Ron?" Kim thought out loud as she hesitated and turned away for only a split second.

"AAARGH!" Came the scream in front of her as she felt a huge pressure around her neck followed with an unstoppable momentum that pushed her back. Kim watched as Warmonga simply wrapped her hand around her throat and pushed her until they hit a wall. Kim dropped the staff as she felt the impact from the wall drain air from her lungs and immediately tensed her neck in an effort to get some oxygen.

She struggled against the alien's tight grip and started kicking her in the midsection, but the look on Warmonga's face screamed insanity. Kim tried to use her increased strength but could only feel the grip around her neck tightened as she continued to struggle and the sudden realization came to mind…

She was going to die.

* * *

Shego crashed against the wall and landed on her feet as she struggled to locate the perpetrator of her attack. All she could feel was an ominous pressure that surrounded her completely before a blow to her stomach sent shockwaves through her body. He eyes opened wide as she felt a surge of energy flow through her and her sensors registered a huge amount of damage.

As she landed on her knees looking up, a shadow enveloped in red slowly stepped towards her, a lone red eye looking at her with malice. Shego simply laughed.

"Aha ha, here I thought you were a goody two shoes like Kimmie but you turn out to be just like me and Drakken." Shego muttered through ragged breaths as Ron simply growled back. "You're a killer and a psycho, just like us…"

This comment seemed to reach him as he paused for a second before grabbing his head, images of ripping, killing, dismembering… they all swirled around his head, "Don't… don't lump me in… with you."

"But you are like me… reveling in your enemies suffering… allowing the power to get to your head." Shego laughed as she got lower grabbing her stomach and leaned on the floor for support. "Sidekick, you are me!"

Ron took in consideration what she said and realized that she was right; he had allowed the power to get to his head. The images of death weren't only directed at her, but everyone around him. Kim, Wade, Yoshi, Yori, Will Du, Monique… the urge for blood wasn't restricted to only Shego.

"STOP!" Ron screamed. It was aimed more to the images than Shego. She smiled as she glared at Ron and the reduction of the red aura.

"What's wrong stoppable, having a hard time coming to terms with your real self?" Shego remarked as she got into position.

Ron shook his head to try to clear the images before rushing forward as Shego ignited her flames on her left hand and fired flaming debris at him.

Ron quickly brought his guard up to avoid the attack and heard a large explosion behind him followed by the sounds of metal groaning.

The explosion coupled with the raised guard created a small blind spot that Shego exploited as she drove her shoulder to Ron's abdomen and followed it with a kick to his sternum that sent him flying back into the falling debris.

Shego fell to one knee as she tried to diagnose the extent of her damage. "That attack took a lot out of me… won't be doing that again."

Just as she was getting ready for the next round, she started to laugh. The sight in front of her had her delighted. She walked forward to meet the source of her excitement face to face.

"I'll be honest, I was only hoping for it to slow you long enough for me to recover, but this… this is even better!" Shego cackled in delight from the sight.

Ron could only look at Shego in discontent as he struggled to remove the debris that had impaled him, preventing him from moving. Ron was sure his left arm was crushed while a piece of rebar pierced his right kidney from his back and came out through the front. He could taste the blood in his mouth as he tried to stay calm and analyze the situation.

"I have to say you almost had me there… if you had just finished me off without letting your pathetic feelings get in the way you might have been able to complete your mission. Instead you worried about your pathetic friends." Shego ranted as she lifted her left hand. "I can't use my left since I burned it out firing that huge blast to bring down the bridge over head but, I think my left will be more than enough to finish you off now… don't you think."

Ron could see the color of the flames get darker as she concentrated her power in her left hand as he tried to find a solution to his current predicament. The only thing currently preventing him from moving was his left arm, the rebar piercing his side could easily be pulled off once he had a bit more freedom, he considered using the Mystical Monkey Power again, but his mind was growing fuzzy from the lack of blood. He came to a separate conclusion.

Shego smiled as she looked at Ron, "Sayonara loser!"

She fired her blast and watched the explosion as she laughed. She watched as the smoke and the debris finally settled down and revealed her work… nothing but a bloody trail.

Shego's laugh quieted down as she tried to understand what happened and her eyes grew wide as she finally understood. Her body stayed still as she slowly turned her head back to look at Ron's only eye. She could feel something slowly twist in her chest.

"How?" Shego muttered before noticing a bloody stump where Ron's left arm should be.

"A true ninja does anything to slay their target, even at the cost of their lives." Ron muttered through gritted teeth as he stopped twisting the blade and suddenly slicing upward through her shoulder. Ron's hand began to tremble as shock began to set in. He turned towards where Kim was battling and tried to run, but could feel the strength in his legs failing.

"Have to help her somehow…" Ron muttered as he stopped and looked at the Lotus Blade. He transformed it to a large throwing star, "Reach her…"

He used the last of his strength to send it flying towards Kim and fell to his knees as he tried to place pressure on his arm.

Kim had stopped struggling as she tried to find a way out of the grip when she saw the star embed itself on the wall right next to her and transform back into a sword. She reached out and grabbed it, quickly swung it, felt the blade cut through flesh and the pressure around her neck slacken as she dropped to her knees and gasped for air.

Warmonga cried out in despair as she looked at the stumps on her arms. Kim stood on her feet and raised the blade once more, "This is for everything you, Drakken, and Shego have done!"

She thrust down and felt the blade pierce flesh once more, feeling a sense of satisfaction as she stepped away from her bloody body.

"RON!" Kim cried out as she ran towards him and watched as he simply smiled before falling forward to the ground. She quickly got to his side and looked over his injuries, "Ron, RON! Stay with me, come on."

Ron could barely keep his eyes open as he struggled to remain conscious. "Drakken… he took off."

"Don't worry about it, we just need to turn the machine off and this whole thing won't matter." Kim muttered as she tried to find a way to help him. She calmly grabbed her communicator and dialed the base.

"Kim, we have a problem."

"Wade, we got control of the room, how do we shut it off?"

"That's the problem. Michael just got the information that shutting the machine won't do anything. They have over two dozen of those machines around the globe… even if we turn that one off it won't do a thing."

Kim shoulders dropped, "He won… that BASTARD won."

"I'm sorry Kim."

"Blow it up."

Kim looked down at Ron, "Didn't you hear, destroying it won't do anything."

"Not just destroy it. Create a big enough…*cough cough* big enough blow back from the… ensuing explosion." Ron managed to say as he struggled to breathe.

"Wade, is that possible?"

"Maybe… if we can cause a big enough explosion with the machine it can cause a feedback that may, in theory, negate the signal… it'll be a small window, but we still use it."

"Ron don't worry I'll… Ron? RON?" Kim stopped as she simply looked at Ron. "He's gone."

"Ron… gone?" Wade asked as he felt a great sadness overcome him.

Kim closed her eyes as she willed herself to do what was needed, "How do we get the machine to cause a feedback?"

"Um… right. You need to overload the core."

"How, the thing doesn't seem to have any panels."

Wade overlooked the blue prints, "The core is located in the machine, if we can introduce an outside energy source to disrupt containment it should cause an overload and the explosion."

Kim looked around for a means to introduce more power to the core when she spotted Warmonga's staff. Her eyes steeled with determination, "Wade get ready to go back home, this will be over soon. Kim out."

Wade nodded with sadness, he never wanted a future like this, and he would do everything in his power to do so. He started to head for the time machine when he was stopped by Monique.

"Before you go take this," She handed to him a small device, "It contains all the information we have on the Lowardians and their technology… as well as some other information you might find useful once you return."

"I'll make sure this," Wade motion at everything, "Never happens. You can count on me."

Monique nodded, "Now go, while we still have a chance."

Wade headed to his destination.

* * *

Kim watched as the machine crackled and sparked as the core began to overload. The machine began to glow with a bright light and the air around her began to heat up.

"Ron, I'm sorry… I never got to tell you that. I never got to tell you that I regretted everything." Kim looked at Ron's face and closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face. "I regret not giving us a chance."

The last thing she saw was a bright light.

* * *

"Wade, get ready we're registering a huge explosion… almost off the scale." Monique informed through the intercom.

"Ready, once the signal even decreases by a fraction we start the machine." Wade ordered as he programmed the machine.

"The signal is dropping!"

Wade pushed the button and watched as the machine came to life and suddenly pulled him in.

The rest of the crew watched as Wade and the machine disappeared. Monique stepped back from the monitor observing the proceedings and gave a sad smile.

"How will we know he succeeded?" Michael asked.

Monique simply looked at him before one of the operators called out, "We're receiving reports of large columns of light appearing everywhere!"

Monique smiled, "I guess he did."

* * *

"I'm telling you, I don't think he was taken by any of the usual bad guys. One of them would be gloating by now." Ron muttered as he followed Kim.

"Ron, come on. What do you think happened?" Kim asked as they made their way to the Load household. "His mother said she heard him scream and some sort of loud noise, and he was gone. What does that tell you?"

"That he somehow created either a time machine or some sort of teleportation device." Ron replied half seriously.

Kim stopped and turned to Ron to give him a look, "You're serious? A time machine?"

"Hey you asked for my opinion, remember?"

"I would have thought your childish mentality would have changed since your return from Yamanouchi."

Ron quickly raised his hands, "Whoa, Kim, remember ex-nay on the trip-nay. Besides, I've been told I have a positive outlook in life, and that I should never part with that."

Kim let out a groan of frustration, "Ron, could we focus on the job please, this is important."

Ron nodded, "Alright, let's go."

Kim and Ron knocked on the door and were soon face to face with Mrs. Load and ushered into the home. As they made their way into Wade's room they started to look around for clues.

"That's weird, not a single sign of a struggle or otherwise." Kim muttered as she looked around.

"You ever wonder what exactly he does with all his experiments." Ron mused out loud.

"Ron, you really…" Kim started to say before being interrupted by a weird light appearing above and the sudden appearance of Wade.

"Yes! AARGH!" Wade screamed in surprise as he landed on the floor. "Shoot, missed the bed by a few feet."

Ron and Kim simply watched in amazement as Wade got to his feet, "Oh, hey guys."

Ron was the first one to respond, "I knew it! You created a teleportation device!"

"Actually, it's a time machine."

"I knew it, you created a time machine!"

Kim closed her eyes and waved her hands trying to grasp the situation as she moved forward, "Wait, you're telling us you created a time machine… and that's why you were gone."

"Yes, just give me sec and I can explain," Wade replied as he moved towards his work area passing Ron, who was muttering about seeing Ancient Japan, picked up a wrench and slammed it over the machine.

"What are you doing?" Ron and Kim screamed together as they watched the Wade destroy the machine.

Once Wade finished he turned to both with a look of determination, "That thing is too dangerous in the wrong hands. Besides I have something more important to tell you, something you both need to know."

They both gave him a worried look, and felt their fears realized when they heard it all.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoyed this arc, as it came to a close. But the fun doesn't stop there. We'll soon find out the repercussions from this little trip and the consequences are yet to be seen.**

**The Lon3Wolf8986  
**


	12. Time for Contemplation

**AN: Well this is mostly a filler chapter. Why is this a filler chapter? Well because this is basically my version of an already existing episode "Fashion Victim" with a few twists that will be pivotal to the main story. See if any of you can point out exactly what is going to be pivotal, and why... I wonder if any of my readers will actually see the "Signs" and maybe, just maybe... influence what may happen. Next chapter we return to start the new arc.  
**

* * *

**Mr. Nice Guy**

**Chapter 12: Time for Contemplation  
**

Ron and Kim sat in a booth inside Bueno Nacho, silently for what seemed like hours. The little naked mole rat was confused about the silence but appreciated all the extra food left on the table as he munched away.

"So what do you think?"

Ron looked up at the question and noticed as Kim looked down, refusing to look at him. "I think they overcharged me for the Naco and Encherido… I'm pretty sure I didn't order the extra sauce."

"Ron!" Kim cried out as she gave Ron a look of disbelief.

"Good, you're looking at me again." Ron muttered as Kim realized what he meant. "You've got to stop worrying about what Wade said Kim. Time paradoxes are pretty standard in the sci-fi genre."

"This isn't a movie or a TV show," Kim countered, "This is life, REAL life. It's not some random story someone wrote on the internet."

"Okay, okay, I get it. But you heard Wade, Drakken has barely been freed. He hasn't had enough time to amass a lot of power, besides Wade will let us know once he finds something." Ron replied. "We won't let it happen this time, we got Wade now, remember?"

Kim nodded, "That covers Drakken taking over, but what about us?"

"What about us." Ron asked with a raised eyebrow.

"In this future, we were no longer friends. Is that going to happen to us here too?" Kim asked the concern in her voice as clear as an eclipse in the middle of a July day.

"Maybe," Ron answered truthfully. Kim was surprised to hear his answer and gave Ron a weird look. "Kim you never know these things. Friends move, they leave, and they fight… things happen. Change is something that should always be welcomed. Like destiny change is something that we have to accept."

"That's Master Sensei talking, isn't it?" Kim concluded with a weak smile.

"Yeah, he thought me that exact line during my summer there, he teaches it to everyone really..." Ron admitted. "But it's true. We can't control the future, but we can control the now."

"So let's talk about the now," Kim remarked as she looked at Ron squarely in the eyes. "After Prom I asked you if you had feelings for me and you replied that you didn't… was that a lie?"

Ron kept his eyes on hers before taking a deep breath and replying, "And if I said it was… what would that change?"

* * *

Wade let out a yawn as he typed into his keyboard, determined to find the whereabouts of Dr. Drakken using his usual means, but was puzzled by the device right in front of him. He paused his typing as he gave the device one long look.

He grabbed and began to examine it once again, "She told me this would contain all the information gathered over Drakken and the Aliens he allied himself… but the encryption is too severe."

Throughout his years as a gifted genius, and his involvement with a large amount of experimental devices, he knew he could get the device to interface with his computer. That was the easy part, actually decrypting the information for him to use would be the hard part.

His first attempt at accessing the information only ended with failure as his computer took hours to just decrypt a few megabytes of information.

"If only I had a super computer…" Wade mumbled to himself. Of course he had access to multiple super computers from across the nation, but he was afraid that the information contained on the device would fall into dangerous hands, and all the sacrifices made to get him back would be for nothing.

"No, I definitely can't get anyone else involved with this information. The less people know I have it the better." Wade muttered as he thought about it. Then a sudden idea struck him.

He slaved away at his computer as he smiled to himself, "I'll be breaking a few international laws to do this, but I'm sure it'll be okay since I'm not going to use it for anything nefarious."

Wade typed away at his program before attaching and hiding it within a video file, a DVD rip of the new Iron Dude movie, and uploaded it to a peer-to-peer website. He then waited and watched as the number of downloads increased from a mere handful to a few thousand.

"That should be enough…" He muttered after half an hour as he brought up his prompt and started to type away. The video file had a virus embedded within the video itself. Once the user had starting playing it, a prompt would pop out asking for a plug-in update for the video player. Once the user clicked yes (and in some cases even no) it would download a special plug-in device he had especially created and create a virtual desktop for the current user, allowing Wade to control any of the computers functions without the user ever knowing.

The current prompt allowed him to string together all the computers affected by his virus to work together and work for him as a large bot network, or in this case his own personal super computer.

"Let's hope this works." Wade commented to no one as he started the process and watched as the information started decrypting in a much faster rate. "Yes, now to get the information I need."

He looked through the decrypted information, looking for the information promised until he came across a video file. Wade clicked it and watched as the video player popped up and started to play a video of the older Monique.

"Wade if you're listening to this, you managed to interface and decrypt the information from the storage device. I can't stress how dangerous the information is if it fell into the wrong hands, so please be careful." Monique on the screen cleared her throat before continuing, "Now to the reason of this message…"

* * *

"Hey GF, what's so important that you had to talk to me now?" Monique asked as she folded some shirts. "You do realize I'm kind of busy with the new fall line-up."

"I know, I know… it's just… I just had a conversation with Ron and things took an awkwierd turn." Kim muttered with a look of confusion.

"Ron usual awkwierd, or something new?" Monique asked with genuine interest.

"New. I asked him how he felt seriously about me."

"And?" Monique asked with anticipation.

"Well…"

_FLASHBACK…_

"Well? Would it change anything?" Ron asked with a serious look.

"I don't know…" Kim answered truthfully. "I would still like to know."

"Kim…" Ron let out a deep sigh, "When you asked me at the time… yes, I lied. I had feelings for you, romantic feelings; I was lying when I said I didn't."

"Ron… Ron you know I was, I AM, with Eric, right? We can't be together." Kim tried to reason. "I don't want you to hold on to some fleeting dream that may never happen."

"Kim, I said at the time. Now, I'm not so sure what I feel for you." Ron replied as he took a sip of his drink and grabbed his Naco… or what was left of it thanks to Rufus. "I sometimes thought about us getting together… even before the whole Drakken take over the world, part one."

"Part one?"

"Well, yeah… he's going to try and take over the world using alien technology now. So this is part two." Ron reasoned as he took a bite and a sip.

"My time at Yamanouchi thought me to depend on myself. To trust my instincts… and since then I've been… uh, falling out of… love with you." Ron answered truthfully.

"Really?" Kim asked in an incredulous voice. "Why?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders, "I realized there are other fish in the sea? Time heals all wounds? I mean, I still have feelings for you… just, not as strong as they used to be."

"Oh… well that's good… right?" Kim asked.

"Yeah… it is. Besides I'm starting to understand what you mean when you said it could ruin our friendship."

"Yeah…" Kim muttered in agreement. She couldn't help but notice a small tinge of disappointment in the back of her mind.

"AAHHH!" Ron jumped up as he gulped down his food and chugged his drink.

"Ron, you okay?" Kim asked with genuine concern

"I forgot I have to babysit Hanna tonight, my parents are going to be furious!" Ron muttered as he picked up a pigged out Rufus and placed him in his pocket. "I've got to go and Kim?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry about things… they usually work out." He comforted her as he gave her a genuine smile and walked away.

_PRESENT…_

"And just like that he walked away." Kim muttered as she rested her chin on her arm.

"Well that's good right? Isn't that what you wanted?" Monique question as she finished dressing the mannequin. "Isn't that what we talked about after your fight with him last time?"

"The whole "Shego hurting him in San Francisco" thing… yeah… but for some reason now that it happened I feel lousy." Kim groaned as she hugged her legs to herself. "I don't know why."

"Maybe you're feeling this way because you weren't honest with yourself." Monique mused as she sat next to her friend. "Now I bet you he'll be secretly pinning over that Yori girl he met in Japan."

She watched as the expression on Kim's face soured. "Whoa Kim, what's with the face?"

"Nothing…" Kim growled.

"Don't tell me your jelling over a guy you have no interest in, what-so-ever." Monique teased.

"MONIQUE! Quit it."

* * *

Ron struggled as he tried to concentrate on the task in front of him. A daunting task it was as it required every single skill and knowledge he possessed. He focused his mind as he analyzed and fought to find a solution.

He kept his eye on the clock as he felt the time diminish bit by bit, soon he would run out of time and his chance to survive would be over.

"PENCILS DOWN!" Mr. Barkin called out as he stood to collect the test. "I hope you all enjoyed your surprise pop quiz… I know I did."

"Come on Mr. Barkin, it's not fair. We have a game tonight, we weren't ready for a pop quiz." Somebody called out from behind the classroom.

"That's the beauty of a surprise pop quiz, it's when you least EXPECT IT!" Barkin replied back. He stopped by Ron's desk as he grabbed his sheet. "What about you Stoppable, any complaints?"

"None."

"You sure? I was sure you would be among the first to complain about the surprise pop quiz." Barkin murmured with curiosity.

"Usually, but… I actually studied so no problem." Ron muttered with a cool smile.

"Oh? Well I hope you do well… of course you do realize that the answer for number one is not 'B' it's actually 'D' Pangaea." Barkin replied with a smirk.

"Wait, What!"

"Too late Stoppable, I hope for your sake you do better in tonight's game."

Ron groaned as he leaned back and face palmed. The bell rang and the students quickly grabbed their bags heading for their next class. Ron simply watched in his seat as the rest of the students left the class.

"Stoppable, something wrong? You're still not fussing over the whole Mad Puppies, are you?"

"Huh? Oh, no, no, I was just… just pondering the meaning of life, that's all." Ron replied in a hurry as he got to his feet and grabbed his things.

"Your ponderings won't get in the way of tonight's game will it?" Barkin asked as he approached the young man. "I don't want to pressure you but if you win tonight we take the lead in the district. So don't botch it."

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now get out of my classroom." Barkin growled with a smile.

Ron smiled back as he left the class and headed to his chemistry class. He was almost there without an interruption when he heard it.

"Hey RON!"

Ron turned to find Monique smiling and coming towards him, "Uh oh, what did I do and how bad is it going to hurt?"

"Calm down you goof; I just wanted to ask you a few things." Monique explained as she grabbed his arm.

Ron felt her grip, "And… you're anticipating me running, aren't you?"

"Why would you say that?" Monique asked with a smile.

"Because you're gripping my arm unusually tight and you have a smile that screams 'If you don't get what you want I might end up hurt'…. I can keep going but those are the ones that stand out." Ron muttered.

Monique frowned as she looked at him, "Okay, you're right. But I only want to know what happened between you and Kim yesterday."

"Why? I figured Kim would have filled you in with the details."

"She did, most of them, but I want to hear your side of things." Monique explained.

"There's nothing to say." Ron answered with a shrug.

"Humor me."

Ron gave her a skeptical look before proceeding. "Okay, I'm guessing that Kim told you about our little conversation last night. That I didn't have as strong feelings as I once did for her." Monique nodded. "That was pretty much it. I did have strong feelings for her… I genuinely thought I loved her, but…"

"But…" Monique repeated as she motioned for him to continue.

"But I'm confused right now, so things are a bit of a mess. She's right. She has Eric right now, she doesn't need me to wait for the day they're not together anymore, that day may never come. So, I decided to live my life."

"That's what I don't get. I thought you guys would have ended up together. You both obviously complement each other, like you were both made for each other."

Ron smirked at her comment, "That's just the thing Monique; we used to complement each other. Lately we've just been getting on each other's nerves a bit. Maybe its just growing pains and it'll get better as we go along or… it could be something worse."

Monique was surprised to hear him say that, "Ron, don't even kid like that."

"You sound like Kim there. I'm just being realistic about the situation, don't get me wrong I would still do anything for my best friend, but sooner or later we have to realize that we will all go our separate ways."

***Ring***

"Well, looks like I'll be late for my class if I don't get a move on. Nice talking to you Monique."

Monique watched as Ron turned and suddenly exclaimed, "When did you stop being such a goofball?"

Ron chuckled, "When I realized I had more to offer than just being a sidekick."

Ron turned and gave her a smile that seemed to make her heart skip a beat, "And that I want more for myself than what I used to have… bye."

Monique stood there for while before she realized what happened, "Come on, it's Ron… besides he's already spoken for."

* * *

The game had been close the first half as the Westburg defense kept blitzing while their cornerbacks managed the man to man coverage. Ron had no time and no target to get rid of the ball. He would try to pass only to be forced to run out of the pocket, and when he tried to create some offense of his by running he was quickly overwhelmed by the amount of defenders. He had his worst stats since he started and kept the score close with Middleton high down by three.

Ron wasn't frustrated; he was patiently waiting for a chance to break the game open.

"Alright gang, it's time we brought out the big guns for this," Barkin cried, "Stoppable, we're using the plays from the last section of the playbook. Use them as you see fit."

Ron smiled. The plays from the last section were fun to use and now he was given free rein to use them.

"You got it coach," Ron replied as he led the offense to the field and got into a huddle, "Blue Bomber 32 Drag left, BREAK!"

Ron got behind center and looked at the defense, obvious that they were going to blitz. Ron stepped back into the shotgun position, raised his leg and turned to cough. The center hiked the ball over Ron's head as Ron bowed down coughing.

The defense took a second to realize the ball had been snapped before rushing the line, ignoring Ron and heading for the ball behind him. The running back quickly scooped up the ball before tossing it to the wide receiver for a reverse.

The defense struggled with the change of direction and struggled to catch the receiver as he stopped, pulled back the ball, and threw it for a long pass towards the end zone. Ron smiled as the ball glided into his hands and he jogged into the end zone… not a defender in sight.

The rest of the night resembled the drive before. Ron kept calling misdirection plays, screens, and simple trick plays to keep the defense off balance. Finally by the start of the fourth quarter the Westburg defense switched from a Blitz happy defense to a zone defense and Ron began to earn his stats. The crowd was going crazy now that the Mad Dogs had an eighteen point lead. Ron was having a great time as he watched the tweebs in their Mad Puppies costumes celebrate his latest touchdown with the crowd.

"RON, Wade called," Kim called out as she headed towards him, "He found Drakken."

Ron nodded, this was more important than the game.

"Mr. Barkin," Ron called as he jogged towards him.

"Stoppable, it's Coach Barkin."

Ron nodded as he removed his pads, "Sorry, but I have to help Kim go and save the world."

Barkin gave him a look of respect, "Go on Stoppable, the game only has a little over two minutes left. I was thinking of pulling the starters out anyways."

Ron nodded and smiled as he rushed to Kim's side to get ready and catch their ride.

* * *

"So you see Shego, by using Warmonga's alien technology we could take over the world." Drakken pitched at Shego.

"Tell me again why you're not just using one of her machines to hold the world hostage?" Shego asked.

"It's the buffoon, he no longer runs around like a chicken with its head cut off. I'm pretty sure you're familiar with him now, aren't you?" Drakken prodded.

"URGH, don't remind me." Shego scowled.

"No, I don't need to face THEM right now. I need to amass an army first then, and only then, will I strike." Drakken muttered with a hardened resolve.

Shego could see the logic behind the plan, "You're actually thinking this through… it might actually work."

"Believe me Shego, it will." Drakken reassured her, "So, are you in?"

Shego scrounged up her nose, "I don't know, don't get me wrong I appreciate the whole breaking me out of prison, but I was hoping to take a vacation first."

"Please?" Drakken whined, "I promise you enough power to destroy Kim Possible, heck I promise you'll be the only one to kill Kim Possible."

"Alright… let's do it." Shego smiled as she stood with Drakken and grinned.

"I'm not sure that was a smart move Shego," Kim commented as she appeared out of thin air. "He has a tendency to be on the losing end of such things."

"Kim Possible, how did you find me?" Drakken asked as he looked enraged, "There was no way you could track us down! We were using alien cloaking technology, there is no possible way!" The sudden realization of what her presence meant quickly filled his head, "I'm not going back to prison!"

"YOU! You are the person that imprisoned the Great Blue. You shall-" Warmonga took a blow to the stomach that sent her flying back and into a monitor.

Ron stood there with a smirk, "Drakken, seriously, when are you going to learn that Kim Possible can do anything."

"Shego, do something." Drakken cried as he stepped back

Shego considered her odds. Kim without her suit, she had a chance… Kim with her suit, made it real difficult to defeat her. And her sidekick?

For some reason since their failed plot to take over the world he had become a force to be reckon with. Maybe the stories of him having some sort of monkey kung fu powers were true.

"Well…" Shego started to say when she heard a large smack, Ron flying back, followed by a crash. Warmonga was back. "I'll take my chances."

Shego attacked Kim, swinging her green flames as a distraction before delivering another blow. Kim barely had time to react but the suit compensated as Kim managed to dodge and evade. They began trading blows, swinging full force, and dodging in time to respond with another blow of their own.

Ron on the other hand felt like a newbie.

He had let his guard down when he focused solely on Shego, thinking that Warmonga was no longer a threat. He had completely forgotten one of the first things he had learned in Yamanouchi, always be aware of your surroundings.

Warmonga charged at him with her staff and swung down with such force that the ground cratered from the impact. Ron barely managed to dodge the first blow and stumbled to avoid the second. The back end of the staff caught him at the sternum and sent him flying back again. The impact shook him out of his lull and he quickly avoided the following blast as he leapt and landed on a monitor above.

"We're using weapons I guess." Ron muttered as he pulled his chain out and started to swing it.

"Get down here puny human!" Warmonga cried as she rushed to attack.

"Sure, why not." Ron muttered as he jumped down and threw his chain around her legs causing her to trip, fall, and lose her weapon. Ron focused as he felt his Mystical Monkey Power surge into his limbs, something that didn't go unnoticed by both Shego and Kim, and pulled Warmonga towards him as he readied his fist.

Warmonga flew towards him, screaming in rage and anger, until she felt a sharp pain. She could feel the organs in her body shift a bit as the excruciating pain surged through her body, right before passing out.

Ron had focused most of his power on his fist right before impact in order to knock Warmonga out. Ron placed her on the ground and secured her with the chain.

"Got to go and help Kim…" Ron started to say but could see that Kim didn't need help. Ron smiled, "I guess I go after Drakken then."

Kim watched out of the corner of her eye how Ron dealt with Warmonga and took a pause to look at her and Shego fighting. She smiled when he saluted and headed towards Drakken's retreating position without a second thought.

"Well Shego, it looks like it's just you and me!" Kim exclaimed as she grabbed a hold of Shego's arms, "So let's get this over with."

Kim head butted Shego, leaned back and shoved her shoulder into Shego's stomach. The blow knocked the wind out of Shego. As she struggled to take a breath Kim delivered a spinning roundhouse kick that sent her flying back and crash into a monitor with a loud crash.

"Lights out, Shego." Kim muttered as she turned and chased after Ron and Drakken.

* * *

"I have to get out of here!" Drakken muttered as he ran to his designated exit. He paused for a second as he thought of Shego and Warmonga. _No, they can take care of themselves,_ Drakken thought to himself, _I need to get out now if I want to have a chance at world domination._

"DRAKKEN!"

He turned to find Ron standing with his serious face ready to lunge forward.

"Ta ta, sidekick." Drakken muttered as he reached for the panel only to pull his hand back when throwing stars pierced it. "ARGH, What the…"

"You're going back to prison Drakken, and this time you're staying there for good." Ron murmured as he steadily approached him.

"Uh, please just… just don't hurt me." Drakken whined as he fell to his knees. Ron slowly approached him, a menacing look upon his face as he finally stood over the mad scientist.

"Please?" Drakken pleaded once more as he looked away.

"Okay."

"NO! Wait… what?" Drakken exclaimed as he looked at Ron. Ron simply shook his head as he grabbed him and pulled him away. Kim arrived just as Ron began dragging Drakken and watched as Ron smiled her way.

They headed back to find Global Justice agents already on scene taking Shego into custody. One of the agents quickly grabbed Drakken and started taking him away.

"Good job on taking down Drakken and Shego." One of the agents remarked.

"And we caught an alien too, don't forget about that." Ron remarked with a grin.

"What alien?" the agent asked with a curious face.

"She's the big green one." Kim remarked as she turned to where she was. "She was… here."

Ron and Kim walked over to look for any signs of a broken chain or a signs of the alien making its escape only to find none. They only looked at each other.

* * *

"So Warmonga got away." Wade asked with a displeased look on his face.

"Yeah, we went to chase after Drakken and suddenly when we were back she was gone." Kim informed through the screen. "You don't look too happy."

"Yeah man, lighten up." Ron remarked as he peered over.

"Sorry guys, it's just that… this complicates things."

"How?" Kim asked with a look of concern.

"Nothing to worry about, I'll let you know if I hear anything." Wade replied as he signed off. He stood in silence for a while before he began typing in his computer again.

"We'll just have to get ready for what comes next."

* * *

"So, he really meant it? The whole 'he doesn't feel the same about you anymore' thing is true?" Eric asked with a look of disbelief. A smile slowly formed on his face, "How, I don't get it?"

"That's neither here or now, let's just enjoying out date." Kim commented with a smile, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you. It's great that you made time for me tonight, I thought the tickets and my reservation would have been wasted." Eric mused as he leaned in and kissed. "But I wouldn't mind just spending the rest of the day with you… just you and me."

"I think I'd like that." Kim replied with a smile as she leaned on him.

The day had been perfect. She had asked Wade to clear the day for her to spend with Eric, she wanted to experience a day without the drama of crime fighting, and to allow Ron to go out on his own now that he seemed much more reliable. She had spent the day not worrying about a single thing as they went to a musical, went to a nice café to talk a bit before going on a carriage ride around town and finally ending the date in Chez Couteaqx. It was perfect… or almost perfect.

"I can't say how glad I am that this whole mess with Ron is over with," Eric muttered as he snuggled with Kim, who just had an awkward look on her face. "I feel so… so relieved."

"Eric, could we stop talking about Ron, it's kind of ruining the mood here." Kim muttered as she pulled away. "Aren't you the one that usually ask for us to not talk about him… and by the way what had you worried before?"

"I know, I know, it's just that… forget it. This is our night and I'm not going to ruin it with some pointless chatter." Eric cried as he tried to change the subject.

"Didn't you trust me?" Kim asked, her tone dangerous.

"No, I trusted you… I just… I just didn't trust… Ron." Eric muttered as he looked away. "I just don't think… okay, I know he doesn't like me very much, and I was worried that he would, you know, try to turn you against me."

Kim raised her eyebrow in disbelief, "You're kidding, right? How could you ever think that Ron would try to influence who I date?"

"Kim, you just admitted that your best friend had romantic feelings for you. A friend that you held very dear and that had more access to you than I did at times, don't you think I had a reason to worry?" Eric asked with a questioning look. "Just put yourself in my position, if I spent a whole lot of time hanging around another girl, who I held in high regard, and spent a lot of time doing things… wouldn't you be worried?"

"You may have a point, but it still doesn't mean I have to like it." Kim muttered before letting out a sigh. "Let's… let's just get back to our date, okay?"

"Fine by me."

* * *

"Wade, what you got for me!" Ron called out as he rode his ATV over the sand dune and avoided another blast for the black helicopters.

"I located Dementor's location; he's in the fort a couple of miles ahead of you." Wade responded.

"Thanks," Ron muttered as he quickly turned to avoid another blast from the helicopters. "Give me a sec."

Ron aimed for a large hill and used it to capture some big air, turning and throwing a few throwing stars towards the chopper in the middle. The stars embedded themselves into the top rotor and caused the shopper to lose altitude and crash into one of the other choppers next to it. Ron got back into his seat right as the ATV landed on the ground once more.

"I got two, any ideas on the third one?" Ron asked his wingman, Rufus. The little naked mole rat simply shook his head.

"Guess not… wait." Ron aimed for the palm tree, used it as a ramp to send his ATV flying into the air, grabbed his chain, tossed it towards the chopper, and grabbed it. He quickly pulled himself upward until he reached the door.

"Locked, right... Guess I'll have to brute force my way in." Ron muttered as he focused his MMP to his hand and knocked the handle off, allowing him to open the door. The chopper simply hovered with no target in sight until Ron switched the autopilot off and began to fly it himself.

"Thank you Hirotaka, for the driving and flying lessons. Never thought I would need to use them more than now in my life." Ron mused as he flew towards the top of the fort and landed in front of Dementor and his goons. He quickly jumped out and got ready for them.

"Frue lien Possibl- where is Possible?" Dementor asked with a befuddled look. "Why is only ze sidekick showing?"

"Right cause that doesn't get old," Ron muttered to himself over the sidekick comment, "Kim took the day off so you're stuck with me. Now hand over the Duke."

Dementor and his goons simply laughed as Ron's face soured. "You are telling me that you are ze only one to show up? Ah ha, I might keep ze Duke after all."

"Aha, aha, ha… NOT funny." Ron remarked sarcastically before getting into his stance. "Now hand him over."

Dementor snapped his fingers and the goons quickly rushed forward to face Ron, only to have them thrown back towards Dementor.

"Okay, you may have some fancy moves… ah, who am my kidding. I rather cut my losses now." Dementor muttered as he fired his nano-jetpack and started to fly off.

"Oh no, you don't! Not after making fun of me!" Ron screamed as he threw a throwing star at Dementor, impaling the jetpack and forcing him to crash into the dunes below. "Well, that went better than I thought, especially since that was my last one."

"Thank you for dashing to my rescue at such haste, but might I say where is the teen superhero Kim Possible?"

Ron raised an eyebrow, "Like I said; she took the day off. I'll be more than happy to escort you back-"

"That's splendid but, might I inquire your name sidekick?"

Ron simply groaned.

* * *

"Hey Kim, how was the date?"

"Do you really want to know?" Kim replied with a force smile.

"That bad, huh?" Monique assumed as she hugged her from the side and brought her to a seat, "Dish."

"Well, things were going great. We saw a musical, had a great conversation, then a carriage ride through town, and finally a stop at Chez Couteaqx."

"Sounds like he pulled out all the stops… so what went wrong?"

"I told him what Ron and I had discussed. And, well, he seemed ecstatic about it." Kim recounted.

"Shouldn't he be? I mean, you have told me he is a bit jealous of Ron, so hearing about this was bound to make him happy." Monique reasoned.

"He should be happy, but… he just couldn't drop the subject and it just irritated me." Kim shook her head, "He kept telling me how he was so relieved, making it sound like he was worried that something would happen. Almost like he couldn't trust me, it just made me kind of mad. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it?"

"Maybe, but I think you might have a reason to be kind of mad about it. It does kind of sound like he didn't trust you, but it could go both ways." Monique explained as she stood.

"Hey Monique, is that official?" Kim asked as she pointed to her nametag.

"Oh yeah, I was just promoted to assistant manager." Monique replied as they both screamed and hugged each other.

"Congrats, by the way could you sign my card for me?" Kim asked as she pulled out her time card.

* * *

"Hey Kim." Ron called out as he stood next to her locker.

"Hey Ron, thanks for covering the missions the other day. I really appreciate it." Kim replied with a smile.

"Eh, no big. Although, I have to say I really did not appreciate all the "sidekick" comments following the realization that you hadn't shown up." Ron commented as he shook his head. "What about you, how was your day?"

"It was… interesting." Kim responded with a smile. "We had Coco Banana come by the other day and showed off the new designs for the fall line-up."

"That sounds great… right?"

"It would be, but I didn't get to see them since I'm not management." Kim replied as a matter-of-factually but smiled anyways.

"Well, you don't sound so down about it." Ron remarked as he tried to understand her.

"I was, but I talked it out with Eric last night and he helped me vent a bit. So now I'm not so jealous of Monique who got to see them." Kim remarked as she opened her locker to grab some books.

"Wait, Monique got to see them?" Ron remarked as he rubbed his head. "I'm getting a bit confused here. Oh hey speaking of Monique. MONIQUE!"

"Hey Ron," Monique replied with a smile then turned to look at Kim with a look of hate, "Now you, I have nothing to say."

Kim looked surprised as she pulled away, "Okay, what's the sitch?"

"What's the sitch… WHAT'S THE SITCH!" Monique screamed, "How about the fact that I saw you enter the management room to look at the designs after we told you not to."

"Okay, now I'm even more confused, what exactly is going on?" Ron remarked with a confused look as he turned to Monique and then to Kim.

"I'm on the same boat, actually. I don't know what Monique is talking about." Kim responded with a bit of attitude.

"Don't play games with me girl. I saw you with my own two eyes!"

"Okay, can we stop the screaming for a bit?" Eric remarked with a look of concern as he walked next to Kim, "I could hear you both arguing from across the building."

"Sorry, but I still can't believe this girl played me like that. I thought we were best friends." Monique explained as she gave a look of sadness. "I never thought Kim would do that to me."

"Whoa, okay. What exactly are you talking about?" Ron asked as he tried to comfort Monique.

"After we closed I saw Kim walk out of the Manager's office. After we checked we found that the Coco Banana's designs for the fall line-up were missing." Monique explained.

"WAIT, you think I stole them!" Kim exclaimed in shock. Eric simply grabbed Kim and motioned for her to wait.

"Monique, you said that it was right after you closed, right?" Eric asked.

"Yeah…"

"I don't think it was Kim, I picked her up right after work." Eric commented as he tried to explain. "Kim wouldn't have the time to sneak in and do whatever you think she did."

"So what, you're saying that her twin was the one I saw last night?" Monique asked sarcastically.

The screen inside Kim's locker came to life to show Wade, who looked like hadn't slept in days.

"Hey guys, sorry for not calling earlier, had some type of glitch in my system that prevented my systems to work correctly late last night." Wade explained as he typed away on his keyboard. "I'm still trying to fix a lot of my systems, but I wanted to let you know Camille Leon got out of prison."

"Camille Leon, the heiress that we put away for impersonating Britina? How did she get out?" Ron asked with genuine interest.

"She impersonated a guard to escape." Wade informed bluntly.

"I thought we told them to avoid that." Kim asked as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Then maybe it was this Camille Leon that took the designs." Eric remarked to Monique. "Take revenge and make some money by selling them."

"That's the reason why I'm callin-" Wade was cut short by a tall man in a suit.

"Kim Possible?"

"Who's asking?" Eric asked as he got between Kim and the man.

"Officer Twiddle and Tweed, we're the Fashion Police. We're here to ask her a few questions." Came the response from another gentleman in a suit from behind.

"Um-" Kim tried to talk

"She's not going to answer any questions unless you have a subpoena or she has a lawyer present." Eric remarked.

"Fair enough." Officer Twiddle remarked as he grabbed his phone only to have it slapped up and grabbed by Ron.

"Hold on big guy, what's this all about?" Ron held the phone in his hand as he kept both men in his peripherals. "You're not telling me that Kim is under arrests for anything, are you?"

"No, we just had some questions of what might have happened." Officer Tweed remarked, "By the way, the leather jacket, boot cut jeans, and black boots are all done pretty well… full credit for the pocket pet."

"Thanks, but the one you're looking for is Camille Leon, she just escaped from prison." Ron replied as he tossed the phone back. "You can go check just to make sure."

"We'll do that, but don't think you're off the hook yet Miss Possible." Officer Twiddle mumbled as he left.

"Okay," Kim opened the locker, "Wade, any ideas where Camille would go to sell those designs?"

"Already on it, your ride is hovering outside." Wade replied with a smile.

"So where are we going?" Ron asked.

"Milan, the only place Camille can get top dollar for her stolen designs." Wade explained.

"Awesome, we're going to Italy! Boo yah!"

Kim turned to Eric and gave him a smile, "Thanks for earlier, but I have to go."

"Don't worry about it Kim, just come back safe to me." Eric replied with a smile.

"What, no remarks or worries?" Kim asked as she got close to him.

"Nah, I trust you."

"Ahem, before you go I just want to say that I want to come with." Monique murmured as she placed her hand on her hip.

"Um, sorry Monique but no, it's too dangerous." Kim quickly moved to leave.

"Oh come on Kim, don't even try to play that on me." Monique exclaimed as she grabbed Kim preventing her from leaving. "Camille played me too."

"Uh, Monique, she's telling the truth. It is a bit dangerous, especially when it comes to underground organizations." Ron commented as he pulled Kim away. "Besides, the ride is usually just for two. Come on Kim."

"Ooh," Monique fumed as she watched the two leave.

* * *

The shadow moved quickly and silently through the building as it made its way to its target. Quickly working its skills over the lock, it managed to open the locked door to reveal a computer.

The shadow quickly started to work the machine and succeeded its mission when the screen came to life.

"My system crashing set me back a couple of week's worth of work... No it doesn't concern me… I'm telling you we need to make sure that they're ready- Monique!"

Monique looked a bit puzzled, "I figured you for a "playing video games until this time of night" kind of guy."

"Yeah… hold on for sec." Wade muttered, but it wasn't directed towards Monique as he typed something on his keyboard and then turned to look at Monique. "How much did you hear?"

"Not much…"

"Monique, How much?" Wade asked a bit forcefully which surprised her.

"Nothing. All I heard was something about "making sure it was ready"… Wade what exactly is going on?" Monique asked now curious.

"It's a special project for the government. I can't really talk about it besides that." Wade explained as he cooled down a bit. "What can I do for you Monique?"

"Get me a ride to Milan."

"Umm, no. Monique, Kim wasn't lying when she said it was dangerous." Wade commented as he started typing on his computer. "Besides, Kim and Ron should be getting there soon enough. You wouldn't catch them in time."

"Look I feel terrible about blowing up on Kim like that. I just want to make it up to her." Monique pleaded.

"Riiight, and this has nothing to do with you making sure she doesn't see those designs." Wade asked with a knowing tone.

"Okay, maybe… but you can tell that girl was jelling for a bit over it."

"Was she still bothering you about the designs yesterday?" Wade asked.

"Umm, no; actually she was pretty upbeat the rest of the day, that's why I thought she was the one responsible for the missing designs."

"Well that should tell you something."

* * *

"According to GPS, the entrance to the Fashion Underground is somewhere in that building." Wade informed.

"Not something you would expect from an underground organization. Then again they never are what we expect them to be." Ron mused as he looked it over with a set of binoculars.

"As far as entrances go… it's pretty." Kim added as she started to head towards it.

"Kim, hold on." Ron exclaimed as he grabbed her. "It's those guys from the fashion police."

They watched as the agents moved towards the entrance, stop for a bit as they surveyed their surroundings, and finally see one head over to a pair of women who were dressed horribly.

"Okay, this whole fashion police thing they're doing is getting old real quick." Ron commented as he surveyed their surroundings once more. "So what do you think?"

"About the fashion police or about the entrance?" Kim joked a bit, "I think we can get in through the top using the gargoyles."

"And I say we go underground through the sewers." Ron countered.

"What makes you say that?"

Ron simply pointed towards the gargoyle as a pigeon simply exploded into a cloud of feathers. "Motion sensing lasers."

"Okay, we'll use your idea."

They both moved towards a manhole and entered it. The sewer was just like every other sewer they had the displeasure of getting into.

"Huh, you know for some reason I thought it would be different. More… more something I guess." Ron muttered to himself.

"Ron, getting the stolen designs, trying to break into the Fashion Underground… does that ring a bell?"

"Yeah, yeah I know. I'm just trying to lighten the mood a bit." Ron replied as they started to move forward.

"YEAH!" Rufus squeaked as Ron chuckled.

"Trying to focus here," Kim muttered as she stopped short and Ron bumped into her.

"What the-"

"Ron, motion sensor." Kim pointed out as she pulled out her Kimmunicator and called Wade. "Wade, what's the sitch, what kind of security are we facing here?"

"The Fashionistas use the latest in auto-sensory defenses."

"The Fashionistas?" Ron asked. "What kind of villains are those?"

"Wade, 411 on The Fashionistas."

"Sending to you their profiles." Wade replied as he typed away.

"They look bad, so now we need to stop them." Kim called out as she looked at Ron.

"Well then how do we get in?" Ron asked as he looked over the small device on the wall. He then surveyed the surrounding area and spotted a couple of other ones. "Man, they really have this area covered."

"I could try to see if I can hack the system and if I'm able, disable the sensors to allow you in." Wade offered.

"That's an idea." Kim muttered as she surveyed the room herself, "But is that even possible?"

"Wade, do you happen to have the schematics for these sewers?" Ron muttered as he pressed his hands against the sewer walls. "I think I have an idea."

"Just give me a second to download. Got them, what do you need?"

"How thick and what makes the sewer wall?" Ron asked as he stood and wrapped is left hand over his right fist.

"Three feet, with the center foot solid concrete."

"What's behind it?"

Wade scanned the schematics, "Small passage made by the bearing wall."

Ron smiled as he opened his stance and focused on the wall. "Good."

"Ron, what exactly are you thinking?" Kim asked as Ron turned to look at her.

"If we can get through this wall, we can get around the sensors and into the building, right?"

"Yeah, but we won't be able to just break through this wall." Kim exclaimed as she tried to understand what he was trying to do.

"Well… remember when after we took down Drakken you asked me what I did to knock out Warmonga?"Ron asked. "And I replied it was my Mystical Monkey Power."

"Yeah… Monkey Fist keeps talking about it, why?" Kim replied.

"Well you're about to get a better look." Ron muttered as he started focus on his power to his fist. "You might want to step back."

Kim did as she was told and watched as a blue aura started to swirl around his right arm and then concentrate into his right fist. Ron threw a punch that shattered the wall and created an entrance.

"Ron that's amazing!" Kim exclaimed as she walked next to Ron who was hunched over. "Ron, are you okay?"

"Yeah… just give me a sec." Ron muttered through clenched teeth as he flexed his hand open and closed. "That wall was reinforced with rebar, so I didn't account for that."

Kim looked over and saw the shattered remains of the wall being held barely together by the rebar. She then turned to look at Ron who was still flexing his hand and gasped. "Ron your hand…"

"Yeah," Ron removed his glove to reveal broken skin on his knuckles. "I should've focused more power into my fist."

Kim grabbed his hand as she pulled out her first aid kit, "I may not understand what your whole Mystical Monkey Power is, but I do know that you need to be more careful.

"I don't think you have any broken bones," Kim informed Ron as she started to wrap a bandage around his hand and looked up to his eyes, "It's obvious that your powers don't make you invincible."

Ron kept his eyes on hers but quickly pulled back his hand as soon as she was done, turning immediately towards the tunnel, "We better get moving. We don't know for sure if they picked that up or not."

"Right."

* * *

"Yoo-hoo, fashion friends! Greets, just came for more green since I already spent yesterday's score." Camille muttered as she sat down. "The whole foreign exchange, really confusing… as if I were a math-magician."

"Camille, we're not paying you more unless you bring us more designs to pirate, I thought we had already agreed to that." Chino remarked as he stood up.

"Oh, but I already spent my money," Camille whined. "Can't you just give me money and take it out from my next score?"

"Look, you can either get with the program or get out Camille," Hoodie added as she got to her feet. "We don't have the time to be playing games with you."

"Ahke, just give her what she wants so I can stop listening to her whining." Espadrille remarked as she shut closed her laptop. "Besides, we'll be making a fortune off these designs."

Kim watched from on top as the group agreed and Camille began to celebrate the news. Kim grabbed her Kimmunicator called Wade, "Did you get that?"

"Got it on tape, now to bring them down."

"Good, let Ron know." Kim ordered as she started to make her way closer to the ground. Ron should be flanking them from behind and would come out as soon as she made her appearance.

"I have to say this has been the best day since I got out." Camille exclaimed as she grabbed her money, "Oh wait, no, the best day was when I framed Kim Possible for stealing the designs."

Camille started to laugh when she heard someone clear her throat which caused the group to stop and turn to look towards where the sound came from.

"I'm sorry to say Camille, but your day is about to get worse." Kim muttered as she stepped forward.

"Kim Possible! How did you get in here without triggering the security system?" Camille asked as she started to back off.

"Kim Possible? You're the teen hero they designed the Kimstyle from?" Hoodie asked as she stepped forward. "That was like the worse fad I had ever seen."

Kim cringed at the thought of everyone wearing her mission clothes, "Don't remind me."

"Still, to have the teen hero here means that we'll just have to "knock off" something else before the end of the day." Chino added as he stepped forward before falling flat on his face. He turned to find a chain around his leg.

"Knock it off with the lame "knock off" puns!" Ron cried out as he pulled the chain. "Wait, I just made one myself."

The fight suddenly started as Chino and Ron struggled for control for the chain and Hoodie headed for Kim. Espadrille headed to help Chino until he was sent flying back and forced her to reconsider.

Kim fought for a while until Chino crashed into Hoodie to knock both of them out, finally finishing with Kim and Ron both surrounding Espadrille, who simply gave up.

"Where's Camille?" Kim asked as they looked for her.

"She couldn't have gotten that far," Ron muttered as he closed his eyes and focused on his surroundings. Kim suddenly saw him quickly reach out and grab something from the air. He then opened his eyes and gave her a knowing smile, "Kim, this way."

Ron moved towards the back and found an older woman who was cleaning the floor. "Camille, give it up."

"Ron, are you sure?" Kim asked but suddenly smiled as she saw what he meant. The elder woman was holding the broom completely wrong. "Give it up Camille."

The elder woman looked confused until Ron pulled out his chain, that's when she transformed back. "Okay, okay… just don't get that on me, it really hurt last time."

* * *

"So, how did you know?" Kim asked. They were on their ride heading back to Middleton now that they had recovered the designs. "I don't think we saw her leave until it was too late."

"Eh, well… I just used something I learned from Yamanouchi." Ron remarked as he worked on his school work. "Didn't think it would be handy, but I guess I was wrong."

Kim paused before asking, "What… what exactly did you learn there? I know you once told me that you were in "Ninja remedial classes" but, that wasn't the truth… was it?"

Ron stopped. "It's personal Kim… too personal to even share it with you, my best friend."

"Ron, when did we start having so many secrets between us? Why is it that I feel like we're breaking further and further apart?"

"I don't know Kim; all I can say is that we just have to keep going forward. Things tend to work out sooner or later."

* * *

Ron sat in his bead as he looked at the phone and the piece of paper he held in his hands. He mulled over his decision in his head as he flipped and closed his phone over and over before finally starting to dial.

He waited as the phone line rang until finally, "Hey, it's me Ron… Yeah, I was just wondering…."

* * *

**Well I hope you enjoyed it! :D**

**The Lon3wolf8986  
**


	13. Monkey Business

Mr. Nice Guy Chapter 13

Monkey Business

* * *

Ron yawned as he grabbed some books from his locker and started to exchange them with the ones in his bag when someone slammed his locker door shut.

"Guess what I just found out this morning?"

"Does it have anything to do with a certain star player?" Ron asked as he turned to look at Monique.

"Why yes, it actually does. I just found out that you've been pretty active in the dating scene lately." She replied with a smile, "Is this true, oh so good friend of mine?"

"Maybe…" Ron muttered as he opened his locker again to exchange the books.

"Don't play coy with me, I have it in good authority that you were caught going out with some hot blonde." Monique teased as she leaned against the lockers. "Well?"

"It's true. I asked Samantha out to a date, but nothing more." Ron replied as he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Nothing more? You guys aren't going out again or anything? Why, didn't you guys hit it off?" Monique asked a bit surprised by his response. The old Ron would be ecstatic to be going out with a hot girl and improve his status in the eyes of his peers, but the current Ron seemed to not care about any of that.

"Actually, we didn't… at least I didn't." Ron replied as he motioned for her to follow him, "We had the usual High School date, Dinner and a movie, but it just didn't feel right. She was nice…"

"And I heard you were the perfect gentleman. So what's the sitch?"

"We just didn't have the same interest, that's all. She was more interesting on my bike and my star quarterback status than who I actually was. It got to my nerves a bit…" Ron continued to explain as he stopped in front of a classroom. "That's basically it."

"Sorry to hear that. But hey, there's other fish in the sea right?" Monique asked optimistically.

"Yeah, no kidding. I have a study date this Thursday." Ron replied with a smile as he went to his class. The response left Monique with a surprise look on her face that remained for most of the morning.

* * *

"Wait, hold up. You're telling me that Ron, our Ron, our lovable yet goofy Best friend, is dating."

Kim shook her head as she tried to wrap her mind around the concept before finally settling to a questioning look towards Monique. The other girl simply held her gaze on Kim as she started to count the register in Club Banana. "Are you sure?"

Monique nodded, "Straight from the blonde boy himself. Plus I've confirmed it through some outside sources just to make sure. He had a date this past Saturday with Samantha, the lacrosse player, and he's going on a date Thursday with a girl name Amanda."

"The girl from the debate team? The one that also helped lead the mock trial team to state?" Kim asked, a bit surprised by the answer.

"The one and only." Monique replied as she closed the cash register and leaned back on the counter. "Are you as shocked as I was?"

"Yeah, I just didn't think Ron would be dating anyone." Kim answered, still surprised by the news.

"I figured it was only a matter of time before he started dating somebody…" Monique exclaimed before whispering to herself, "I just figured it would be somebody else."

"Well good for him." Kim replied as she slowly smiled. "He deserves to be happy."

* * *

Gene Stoppable smiled as he secured his tie on and put on his suit jacket on. The current talk of the actuary circles was that he was the odds favorite lead of the candidates for the Actuary of the Year Award. He simply had to attend to a couple of black-tie dinners to appease the committee and he'd have a higher chance of securing the award.

He was also glad to have a son who could baby-sit on short notice.

"Ronald, I need to ask you to- RONALD! What is going on?" Gene exclaimed as he watched his son dangle upside down from the cross beam. "Could you care to explain what it is you're doing?"

"I'm working out…" Ron replied a bit surprised by his father's outburst. "I'm doing some sit-ups, why?"

"I'm just surprised. Before, when we found you in this kind of state it meant you were in some kind of trouble… that's not the case… is it?"

Ron shook his head as he did one more sit-up before unhooking his feet from the cross beam and getting down to the floor. "It was raining outside, so I decided to work out inside. Since I'm in the attic, I decided to use what I had at hand to work out, hence the sit-ups using the cross beams."

"Okay. Well, I need to tell you that your Mother and I are going to be attending a dinner so you'll have to babysit Hanna tonight, okay?" Gene informed.

"Yeah, okay." Was Ron's quick reply as he grabbed his towel and wiped away some sweat. "Any idea when you'll be back?"

"We won't be that late. Remember if anything happens the center's number is on the fridge and if you need parenting tips the book is on the table." Gene looked at his watch before turning to leave, "Well, we have to go. Make sure to take care of your sister."

"Bye Dad." Ron replied as he watched him walk away.

After quickly changing his shirt, Ron spent the good part of an hour playing with Hanna, an agonizing hour trying to feed said toddler, and another hour washing Hanna and placing her to sleep.

The rain outside hadn't let up at all as he watched the water hit against the window, the wind moving the branches outside, and the occasional flash of lightning illuminate the sky. Ron sat in the chair next to the crib, with a book in his hands, as he continued to read the story to a sleeping Hanna when he heard something.

He couldn't make it out at first, but a small part of him told him to pause and search for it, until he heard what sounded like the floor creaking. A sound made by someone stepping on them very lightly… the same type of footsteps he had been instructed to use when approaching someone through the shadows… the footsteps of a ninja.

Ron wasn't sure what to expect as he stood quietly and made his way towards the stairs, keeping his footsteps light and his breathing steady, he started to make his way slowly to the bottom floor before pausing as the lights suddenly went out.

The sudden darkness and eerie silence would have gotten to him before, but now he was in his element as he allowed his training to take over. He listened as the slight sound of footsteps came closer and quietly slipped into the shadows allowing his senses other than sight to lead him.

The intruder stopped. Ron waited patiently as the shadow slowly stepped forward up the stairs… and right under him as he held on to the ceiling. Lightning flashed as Ron dropped and threw a ridge hand strike, the blow striking the floor as he missed by mere centimeters, and the intruder flipped back to avoid his attack.

Ron followed with a forward rolling heel kick, using the height advantage of the stairs to increase his distance, but missed once again as the intruder sidestepped his attack and threw a kick in retaliation. Ron barely managed to lean forward to avoid the kick and quickly reacted to the next strike as he rolled into a handstand and pushed away to land into a crouching position. The Ninja got into its stance and started to slowly circle him as he stood and stayed on his guard.

Ron tried to analyze the situation as he kept in step with his opponent and watched as the ninja shifted stance. Ron's forehead furrowed as he tried to identify the stance but at the moment his opponent lunged forward swinging its right hand to strike. Ron quickly parried the strike, but as he moved forward to lunge behind the attackers guard a sharp pain in his right ribs made him pause, and the attacker followed with spinning elbow. Ron leaned back as he avoided the elbow only to feel another sharp pain under his left ribs. He then felt a blow across the face that sent him stumbling back and watched as the ninja got back into its stance. _Hidden Intention…_ Ron thought to himself as he realized what he was facing. _Using the initial attack as a veil for the actual strike…_

Ron took a deep breath as he hardened his stomach muscles and relaxed the tension from his shoulders. He needed to be loose, and he needed to react without thinking. He needed to let his training take over without letting his logic get in the way.

Ron exhaled as he turned his body sideways his right leg leading, to minimize his opponent's target area, and brought both hands forward together, palm face up.

Ron stood still as his opponent circled a bit, after a few seconds the ninja decided to lunge forward… and watched as Ron did the same. The ninja ducked under initial strike only to bounce back from a secondary attack. It then crouched low as it tried a leg sweep.

Ron leapt forward, tumbled, and rolled into crouching position as he faced the intruder before leaping to his side to avoid another kick from the ninja. He then leapt forward and threw a few strikes, watching as the ninja simply parried with enough force to avoid being hit and allow for a counter strike. The strikes bounced of a stiff guard but one blow met its mark as Ron flinched from the pain in his shoulder.

He stumbled back a bit and noticed the ninja's fist; its fingers pointed for a pin-point strike, and rolled his shoulder trying to make the pain lessen. The ninja seemed to pause and wait for him to continue, something that Ron found odd as any other fighter would be gearing to strike while they held the advantage.

Ron squinted his eyes as he got back into his stance and watched as the ninja lunged forward to strike again… but this time Ron allowed the strike to land. He grit his teeth as he felt the blow reverberate through his body, ignoring the pain that he felt and instead focused on turning his body, grabbing the attacker's arm, and tossing his attacker over his shoulder.

The slamming sound echoed through the house as Ron moved quickly to immobilize his opponent on the ground with his legs and moved quickly to strike.

"Nicely done, Ron-kun."

"Right… any reason why you came across the globe to attack me Yori?" Ron asked as he lowered his fist and helped Yori to her feet. "Or why you felt the need to hit my pressure points?"

"I have come by to bring you news… and to test your ability to make sure you are training correctly." Yori replied with a sweet smile. "Although you did great, your defense still needs work."

"I can tell…" Ron grumbled as he rotated his shoulder. The lights had yet to return, so he made his way towards the kitchen in the back, hoping to reach the breaker. "So what is it that required you to come halfway across the world to see me, Yori?"

When the girl didn't reply he turned to see her pulling out something wrapped in cloth. "I was informed to let you know that there are events in motion that we must get ready for… and to give you this."

Ron was a bit surprised by what he heard but the object in front of him held his attention a bit more. He could feel it calling him, asking to be held.

"It must be serious if Master Sensei is sending this…" Ron muttered as he grabbed the item and unwrapped it to reveal the Lotus Blade. "What's going on Yori?"

"I am unsure of what is going on, but I have been given strict instructions on my mission." Yori replied with a polite bow.

"Mission…. What mission?" Ron asked surprised at the statement, the breaker all but forgotten.

"I have been instructed to watch over you and Hanna." Yori replied as a matter-of-factly. The lights suddenly came on at that moment as both teenagers looked at each other.

"Watch over… wait, I don't understand. Why?"

Yori simply shrugged and shook her head, "To the best of my knowledge, this is related to the events in motion."

Ron tried to piece together what it could mean when the other part of the statement struck him, "How is… uh, how is that going to work? You're not going to… um, is just that… I'm… a little… okay a lot confused right now."

Yori giggled a bit at his hysteria, "Do not worry Ron-kun, I have only come to see you and little Hanna."

"Right, you want to see Hanna." Ron exclaimed with a smile until they heard her crying, "And there she is now."

Both teenagers headed upstairs to the crying girl, and Ron watched as Yori went to the little girl's side, picked her up and began to rock her to sleep once more.

"She's grown so much since I last saw her, she's so beautiful!" Yori exclaimed as she held her and watched Hanna go to sleep.

"She's not the only one…" Ron muttered to himself as he leaned against the door frame with a smile on his face.

* * *

The smell of the air was clean, as expected after an evening shower, as the sun barely showed welcoming the new day. The atmosphere outside was calm and serene as the wind brought a fresh breath to the neighborhood. The Thursday morning was silent, reflecting the mood that was inside the room as a blonde teenager watched a certain piece of steel.

Ron balanced the blade on the palm of his hand as he relaxed and felt the power from it. The last time he had held it he felt nothing but now… he wasn't sure because of his further attunement to the Mystical Monkey Power or because he had now grown more aware of the blade but…

He could feel it.

To him the blade felt like it was a living entity like himself. Something that held a character of its own with its little quirks and abilities that differentiated it from other things.

Ron quickly transformed the blade into a Bo staff as he stood and spun it, quickly transforming it into a spear as he performed a simple thrust and changed it back to sword as he spun and did a low thrust.

"Ronald, you're going to be late for school!" Jeanine called as she entered her son's room to find him holding a pair of scissors in his hand as he stood in an odd position. "Ronald, what has gotten into you today? You're going to be late."

Ron gave her a weak smile as he grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. "Sorry, must have skipped my mind." Ron quickly moved out and headed to his bike. His thoughts stuck on the events of the previous evening. _What event could possibly warrant the release of the Lotus Blade?_

Ron could only shake his head the mere thought as he zipped his jacket and mounted his bike.

* * *

"Hey GF, how's it going?" The fashionable female called out to her friend.

Kim turned to find Monique smiling at her, "Good, why do you ask?"

Monique rolled her eyes as she moved next to her and leaned against the lockers, "Oh, just wondering if you had spoken to a certain blonde."

Kim scoffed, "If you're asking if I've spoken to Ron about his dating, then I hate to disappoint, but no I haven't. And I don't plan on doing it."

"Why not? I thought you would be heading straight at Ron to find out the 411."

"Mon, it's his personal business… he stays out of mine, I stay out of his… it's… its better this way." Kim replied, a hint of hesitation in her voice. "If he wants to tell me about it, that's fine, but I will not force him to talk about it."

Monique raised her eyebrows in surprise, "If you say so… hmmm… isn't that the girl that was with Ron last time?"

Kim gave Monique a knowing look, "Monique, you're not going to get a reaction out of me."

"No, I'm serious! She's coming this way!" Monique replied as she grabbed Kim's face and turned her around to look at an Asian girl heading their way.

"Yohwi?" Kim managed to utter through squeezed cheeks as she pulled away from Monique's grasp. "Yori, what are you doing here?"

"Ah, Kim Possible… it is an honor to see you again. I have been sent to come to this school, with you and Ron-kun." Yori replied with a polite bow.

"Ron-kun?" Kim muttered under her breath.

"So this means you'll be attending Middleton High for our senior year. I'm sure Ron is going to be excited about it." Monique raved as she reached her hand out. "Don't know if you remember me from before, I'm-"

"Monique, yes I remember you from our previous meeting. As for Ron-kun he already knows about the news."

"Really? He hasn't spoken about it to us." Kim added as she gave Yori and inquisitive look.

"I spoke with him last night at his home."

Both girls gave her a surprised look before looking at each other and back at her. Monique was the first to recover and speak.

"What exactly were you doing over at Ron's place las-"

"Hey guys! What's going…on, Yori? What are you doing here?" Ron asked as he walked over to the group of girls. "Are you telling me that… last night was about this?"

"That is correct Ron-kun, was I not clear?"

Ron scrunched his face as he tried to recall the conversation from the evening before, "No, I was very confused remember?"

"So when were you going to inform us about Yori coming to Middleton High for our senior year?" Kim asked, a bit of aggression in her voice. "Or were we not privy to this information?"

"Kim, you have to believe me when I'm sayin-"

"Hey guys, Kim… and new girl?" Erik asked as he looked over Yori. "Am I missing something?"

"Oh, not much. Ron just failed to mention that his friend Yori was being transferred from Japan here for our senior year." Kim growled as she crossed her arms. "Ron, care to explain what's going on?"

"If you just let me spea-"

--

"Could we possibly have this conversation later, maybe around lunch guys?" Erik called out as motioned towards the classes.

Ron rubbed his temple as he nodded, "I think that's for the best. I'll explain everything later. Yori, you need help getting to your first class?"

"I believe I will be attending the same classes as yourself, Ron-kun."

"Good, let's just go."

"Ron, don't forget… lunch. You. Explain. Got it?" Kim called out at Ron's retreating form as he simply waved back. Monique quickly moved next to her and leaned over to whisper, "So much for not getting into his personal business."

"Wha? What do you mean?" Kim replied as Monique walked away and she tried to understand her when Erik grasped her hand.

"Anything wrong Kim?"

"Umm… no not really. It's just… urgh."

* * *

"Okay Ron, speak. Last time Yori was here she dragged you half way across the world looking for Master Sensei. What's going on?" Kim asked in a hushed voice as they tried to avoid being overheard. The red-head was now sitting across her blond friend and an Asian ninja alone at a lunch table, away from prying eyes and listening ears.

"Kim…" Ron started to answer but Yori stopped him.

"I believe I would be better fit to answer this, as Ron-kun does not know exactly what, as you ask, 'is going on'. Master Sensei, as well as a few of the other elders, feel that events are in motion that require my presence here near Ron-kun and…"

"They sent Yori in order to give me some backup." Ron interjected. "I just found this out last night, but I was not aware that Yori would be attending classes here."

"It seems my explanation was not forthcoming with the news of my attendance here." Yori added as she gently bowed. "I apologize for the trouble I have caused."

"What I don't understand is what exactly is going on?" Kim asked as she leaned forward, "What events would warrant your presence here?"

"Or the Lotus Blade, for that matter." Ron added as he started to eat.

"The Lotus Blade? That mystical sword from the tales?" Kim asked a bit incredulous, "What's that have to do with anything?"

Ron smirked as he pulled a pair of scissors out of his pocket and showed it to Kim, "What, besides the fact that I have it here with me? Nothing much."

Kim raised an eyebrow as she looked the pair of scissors over, "Ron, are you sure you haven't lost it?"

Ron looked around the room to make sure no one else was looking over and quickly transformed the pair of scissors into a small blade, a throwing star and finally a small chain. "You tell me."

"Oh, wow, I was not expecting that." Kim replied as she looked at Ron then Yori, who seemed to disapprove of what he had done, as Ron wrapped the chain around his neck. "So… whatever is going to happen, it's going to be big, why else would they send Yori and hand over the mystical sword?"

"I was thinking the same thing. Whatever is going to happen, it's going to be big, world shattering big." Ron replied with a serious look on his face.

"Then I assume that you are no longer angered by today's events, Kim Possible?" Yori asked with a polite tone.

"No, but what happens when we go on a mission, Ron?"

Ron was surprised by the question and glanced over to Yori, as if asking what they should do? "I'm not-"

"I will be accompanying you both, naturally." Was Yori's stiff reply, "I do not wish to dishonor myself for not following my mission."

_Beep Beep Ba-Beep._

"Not something I look forward to." Kim added as she reached for her Kimmunicator. "What's the sitch Wade?"

"I'm guessing you already know about Yori?"

"I'm gonna say yes, why?"

"We have a message from Yamanouchi. Apparently they had a scroll stolen from them by Monkey Fist. A scroll containing the secrets to a weapon."

"Wait! What weapon!" Ron exclaimed as he moved next to Kim to see Wade.

"Something about the Han. Ring any bells?"

"Any idea where Monkey Fist is headed?" Ron asked with a hint of urgency in his voice.

"Not really. Yamanouchi wasn't really forthcoming with their information for some reason." Wade replied with a shrug.

"Okay… any reason why you're so eager about this?" Kim asked with a hint of suspicion.

"I just… I owe them." Ron replied coolly.

"I may know where Monkey Fist is headed, but we may not have much time to stop him if we do not leave now." Yori informed the teens as she stood, "He will be heading for the first shrine."

"How do you know?" Kim asked a bit suspicious of her action.

"Because it was my job to make sure that the scroll would not be taken before coming here."

* * *

_A Few Hours Later…_

"I'm going to speak to the pilot to see how much more time before we reach the target, I'll be right back." Kim looked at the other two teenagers for a bit before turning and leaving towards the cockpit, her gut feeling telling her that something was going on.

Both Ron and Yori remained quiet for a bit before Yori broke the silence, "You did not inform Kim Possible about Hanna. Why?"

"She doesn't need to know about Hanna… at least not yet. Besides, I want to give Hanna a chance for a normal life, not one that has her destined to be a weapon. Hopefully I can keep her from ever having to know the truth." Ron replied as he started to look over his equipment in an effort to calm his nerves.

"Ron-kun, while I agree with you that Hanna deserves to live as a normal child, there is no denying her destiny. We must embrace destiny-"

"I'm not denying it… I'm just trying to give her a choice. I want people to love her for what she really is, a beautiful and smart girl, not for what she could potential become. I don't want people to be blinded by the fact that she could become a weapon cloud their judgment about her." Ron paused as he thought for a bit. "She deserves more than to be the mere opposite of the Yono."

"Yes, she does." Yori replied with an approving smile. "So when do you plan to inform Kim Possible about Hanna?"

Ron scratched his head a bit before answering, "I think I'll take a page out of my rent's book and tell her probably just as she finds out."

"Tell who what just as she finds out?" Kim called from behind them. She gave both a suspicious look.

"My mom… about me, uh… dating. She doesn't think I should date around, you know?" Ron managed to reply with a straight face.

"Okay, didn't think your mom would make such a big deal about it." Kim replied as she grabbed her helmet. "Although I, uh… can see why she might have a problem."

"You do?" Ron replied in surprise.

Kim shook her head, "No, not really… anyway the pilot says we're a few minutes from the coordinates that Yori provided. We should get ready to jump."

"Okay… I guess we get ready." Ron muttered as he grabbed his helmet, placed it over his head and looked at Yori. "Any idea what we'll be facing down there, you know, besides the obvious attendance of Monkey Fist?"

"The locations of the temples are guarded in secret. I only know the location of the first temple. I do not know anything of its secrets or defenses." Yori commented as she put on her helmet.

"It'll have to do," Kim responded as she watched the light turn on signaling the "ok" to jump. "Alright guys, let's go."

The trio watched as the rear door dropped and jumped one after the other. Kim watched as Ron stayed calm throughout the freefall and skimmed over to look at Yori who had a look of determination in her face.

"There!" Yori called out as she pointed towards the ground towards a structure in the middle of nowhere. "That is the first temple, the Yellow Shrine of Nakata."

Ron pressed his arms flat against his body as he shot straight towards the direction that Yori had pointed at. The two girls quickly followed, pulling closer behind Ron as he spread his body before pulling the chord from his chute.

The trio safely landed and headed straight towards the opening of the Shrine, Ron being the first one to look inside. "Whatever was in here is gone. There's no sign of Monkey Fist or his ninja monkeys."

"It is as I feared. We must stop him before he discovers the rest of the shrines." Yori replied as she kept her sight on Ron, giving him a knowing look.

"I'll have Wade begin a search for Monty and the rest of the shrines." Kim replied as she grabbed her Kimmunicator. "We should be able to catch him in the next one."

Ron stood still, relaxing his mind and his body as he felt his power surge through him, allowing him to perceive things other could not.

"He's not too far from here… we just missed him." Ron muttered as he closed his eyes and began to focus on Monty.

"How can you tell?" Kim asked as she kept her gaze at the quiet and still Ron. "Ron?"

"Shhh… Ron is using his ability." Yori whispered as she slowly approached Ron.

Ron took a deep breath as he felt hundreds of beings around him, their essence tickling his senses like feathers lightly pressing themselves to his skin, but he only needed one person. He could feel the failed and tainted Mystical Monkey Power emanating from Monkey Fist and reached out grabbing something in the air.

"Got him! He's not too far, just under a mile away." Ron stated as he started to walk out. "We can catch them on foot, especially in this terrain.

"Wait! How are you sure Ron?" Kim asked with a hint of disbelief.

"Are you sure of this Ron-kun?" Yori asked.

"I'm sure because he has the Mystical Monkey Power, granted it's weak and tainted from his evil, but he's the only one with the exception of me and Rufus," Here the little Mole Rat perked up and showed himself, "So I'm sure it's him. We're connected, whether we like it or not."

Kim seemed a bit puzzled by this declaration but pushed it out of her mind as he watched Ron turn back, "Kim, sorry for taking lead, but this is something I'm familiar with. Hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all." Kim replied with a bit of hesitation in her voice, she wasn't sure why she felt… what she felt.

"Good, we have to go. They have a huge lead but they don't know this is a race." Ron muttered as he dashed forward.

* * *

"To think this would go so easy, it's a shame really." The man with Monkey hands and feet muttered to himself as he moved towards his transportation. "I actually expected more of a challenge than mere sand."

Monty stopped and motioned for the rest of the group to do so. "We should be sufficiently far away from any pursuers now. It would be a shame to not to study the scroll further."

Monkey Fist pulled out the scroll and began to study it, reading a bit out loud as he continued, "Achieving the weapon is your good fortune… now what does that mean?"

One of the monkey minions was quick to respond as Monkey fist gave him a sideways glance, "No, I seriously doubt the weapon would come with a lifetime of bananas you nincompoop. But, if it's my good fortune… that means I'll be well on my way to conquering the world!" He screamed as he raised his arms into the air and cackled with delight… until he felt a sharp pain from the back of his hand forcing him to drop the scroll.

"Aargh! What the-"

"Give it up Monkey Fist." Kim cried out as she stood over a hill overlooking Monkey Fist and his minions with Ron and Yori by her side.

"Oh look, it if isn't the cheer squ- oof" Monkey Fist tried remark but was stopped when he felt a chain wrap around his leg and drag him down. He looked towards the source to find Ron pulling the chain.

"Stoppable… how surprising." Monkey Fist muttered as he got to his feet, "I've been hearing rumors Stoppable, rumors speaking of how you have changed and are now a formidable foe…" He kneeled and delivered a straight edge blow breaking the chain, "Yet I seriously doubt that. You've always been the kind to hide behind the skirts of greater…" Here he gave a knowing look to both Kim and Yori and a wicked smile, "Women."

Ron simply pulled his chain back and rolled it up. "Guess you're the kind of person that needs to see it in order to believe it. Why don't I just demonstrate it for you?" Ron muttered as he began to move towards Monkey Fists.

"Ron, wait!" Kim exclaimed.

"Kim, Yori, make sure you get the scroll. I'll get Monty." Ron exclaimed as he jumped towards Monkey Fists quickly parrying and throwing blows.

"We must hurry Kim Possible." Yori exclaimed as she moved forward leaping over a ninja monkey and delivering a jump kick to the one behind it.

Kim nodded as she followed suit jumping and landing between monkeys and delivering blows to each one. Both girls headed towards the scroll and kept an eye on the other fight near it.

Ron leaned back as he avoided a left hook and managed to parry the elbow strike that followed as turned his body and delivered an elbow of his own to Monty's ribs, following it with a hammer strike as he stepped forward into his space followed with a straight heel thrust kick that sent Monkey Fist flying back.

Monty quickly spun to his feet as he pulled a dagger from within his gi and thrust it forward, slicing open Ron's shirt as he leapt back to avoid the blade. Monkey Fist brandished the blade in front him as he moved slowly forward, swinging the blade to keep Ron retreating.

"Is this your idea of a fair fight Monty?" Ron asked as he avoided another swing of his dagger.

"Quite the contrary Stoppable, you know I don't fight fairly when it comes to my destiny." Monkey Fist proclaimed as he swung high, forcing Ron to duck, spun the blade and stabbed down feeling his blade hit. "Diiiieee! What!"

Monkey Fist was surprised to see a pair of nun-chucks holding his dagger away from Ron. The blond simply smirked as his hands glowed with a blue hue and he snapped the blade with the chain of the nun-chucks and struck with them, quickly transforming them to a tonfa and thrusting it into Monkey Fist's solar plexus, followed by an overhead strike that knocked him to the ground.

Ron stood at the ready as he watched Monkey Fist gather himself, "Come on Monty, did you really think it would be that easy?"

Monkey Fist shrieked as he leapt forward to attack Ron, opening with a right straight. Ron countered with a sleek water blow to the open ribcage, followed with an open palm strike over the chest, and ended his combo with a knife hand strike.

Monty stumbled from the blows and used his left arm to support himself as he attacked with a double kick to Ron's side. The blonde put a guard up but still felt the force as he was pushed back. Monkey Fist followed it with a spinning back kick. Ron, still off balanced by the previous blow, fell on his back to avoid the kick. He then rolled towards Monty and swept his leg.

They both returned to their feet and stood against each other, waiting and observing, when Kim and Yori surrounded him. Monkey Fist spoke again. "So, poor old Ronald needs someone to help him fight… how pathetic!"

"Ah, come one Monty. Do you really think I need their help to beat you?" Ron taunted as he feinted left and moved right behind Monty's guard delivering a flurry of blows to the man's kidney. Monkey Fist growled as he felt the blows and tried to grab Ron. Only to be rebuffed by a chain wrapping around his arms and throwing him to the ground. He watched as Ron transformed the chain back into the blade and stood ready.

"Why! How! How is it possible for you to be better than me when it comes to Tai Sheng Pek Kwar!" Monkey Fist cried out in disgust as he got to his feet. "It's not possible for a bumbling fool like you become such an adept master of this level in such a short amount of time… not on his own…" Monkey Fist slowly came to realization as he turned to see both Kim and Yori closing in around him. He focused his gaze on Yori, "Whatever you and your old master have done to interfere… it will be your own undoing! I swear it."

"Calm down Monty, I kicked your butt way before I met them, remember?" Ron could see that the comment added salt to his wounds. "It's just that now, I can do it in eight different forms of Kung Fu."

"You think you can stop me here… you can't stop me Stoppable. I will get the weapon and the first thing I will do with it, is destroy you." Monkey Fist ranted with total malice in his voice.

"What's wrong Monty? Can't beat me as you are now?"

Ron knew that Monkey Fist was susceptible to rages and would eventually lose his fighting ability as he lost his cool. Monkey Fist had other plans…

"You're right Stoppable, as I am… I cannot defeat you. But maybe with the Yono…"

Ron and Yori's faces showed their fear and surprise while Monkey Fist only showed madness. Kim was lost by the events around her. Ron was the first to speak, "You're crazy Monty. You know as well as I do that releasing the Yono will only bring destruction, to you and your enemies."

"The Yono are feared by both their enemies and they're allies. They do not respect life. Once you go on the path of the Yono, there is no turning back." Yori cried as she tried to remain calm.

"Maybe… but with the weapon and the Yono… I will rule the world." Monkey fist then threw smoke pellets to cover his escape, leaving his monkeys behind. Ron tried to find the fleeing man, but found nothing.

"He got away. Ron can you track him again?" Kim asked as she looked at her friend.

Ron closed his eyes and concentrated, opening them up again as he shook his head, "He knows we would be right behind him. Even if we gave chase I doubt we would catch before he gets to whatever transportation he has lined up."

Yori walked over and picked up the yellow key and turned to look at Ron, "Although we have recovered the scroll and the key, I still fear of what may come. He spoke of the Yono…"

"Yeah, about that… what is the Yono?" Kim asked as she handed over the scroll to Yori. "You guys know what it is, and it sounds serious, but I don't see what the big fuss is about."

"The Yono is… the end of the world. It's a creature of unimaginable power the likes of which has never been seen in thousands of years. It is said that only a weapon of great good can possibly stop it… that weapon is the Han." Yori explained as she handed the key to Ron.

"The Yono has made its appearance felt five other times in the history of the world. Each time it caused mass destruction… and the near extinction of the world. Each time is has been stopped by the Han." Ron added as he pocketed the key and transformed the blade into a small chain once again. "We can't let him release it once again."

"Okay, where do we start?" Kim asked as she looked at the two of them. Both gave each other a look of uncertainty.

"Um… I'm not sure." Ron answered as scrunched his face trying to think of where to start.

"I guess I'll have Wade look into it." Kim muttered as shook her head. "For now we should head back. It's going to be a long ride home."

* * *

That night had grown cold as dark clouds swirled overhead casting shadows throughout the area. The moonlight barely able to trickle through the clouds as the night wore on.

The dark figure hunched itself over the desk, pouring through large volumes of ancient text and manuscripts as it tried to find a solution to its problem. Finding the page, he observed its ornate drawings and studied its text. A large smile spread through his face and laughter so cold was heard as it reveled in its discovery.

Monkey Fist had finally discovered a way to defeat the blonde buffoon, possessor of the Mystical Monkey Power, and once and for all decimate all of his adversaries.

"Yes, this is the answer I seek. They were right when they said that the Yono could not be trusted. Walking the path of the Yono will only lead me to ruin but… if I can harness the power for myself… I could be more powerful than the Yono itself. While I also posses the Mystical Monkey Power, I have yet to be able to attune to it as fully as… Stoppable." His disgust and hatred evident as he spoke the name, he turned and looked out into the darkness of the night. "I will simply have to become something greater… something more…"

His laughter rang through the halls of his current residence and continued on as the night wore on. Only a pair of eyes captured the scene and forced their owner awake.

Ron stood up covered in sweat and could mutter only one thing, "Monkey Fist."

* * *

Sorry for the very late update, RL interfering. Hopefully have next chapter soon

The Lon3Wolf8986


	14. So it Begins

Mr. Nice Guy

Chapter 14: So it Begins...

The brightness of the day seemed to shine more with the white of the snow as she snowboarded over a small hill and grabbed some air. She was quickly followed by two men on snowmobiles as they pursued her relentlessly.

"Any idea what Dementor is trying to do?" Kim asked as she swerved in and out of a couple of trees.

"Without actually seeing the device, no, but with an energy output like that it's got to be big." Wade replied as he typed furiously on his keyboard. Kim stopped as she watched a trio of snowmobiles make their way towards her from the front while the pair arrived from behind.

Kim simply crossed her arms, "Guys!"

On queue a pair of chains came out of the snow as it clothes-lined the men off their machines. Then out of the snow appeared two teenagers who quickly knocked the men out and started to move towards her.

"That was easier than usual." Ron commented as he started to brush of some snow that he had used for camouflage. "Then again it helps that there's three of us."

"Right…" Kim muttered, holding back her dissatisfaction. "We still need to get inside the base and stop Dementor from activating the machine."

"Excuse me, but what exactly is this machine?" Yori asked as she started to roll-up the chain again.

"No idea. Wade hasn't had any new info since we got the call."

Ron raised an eyebrow as he transformed the chain into a smaller one and placed it around his neck. "Could it be that Vortex Indu-thingy?"

"The Vortex Inducer?" Kim replied back in surprise, "I'm surprise you remember that, but no, Wade confirmed that it wasn't that."

"I guess all we have to do is infiltrate the lair now…" Ron uttered as he paused and slightly held his head.

"Ron-kun, are you alright?"

"Ron… what's wrong?"

Ron simply waved them off, "Just a head-ache don't worry about it." He then pointed to the closest snowmobile, "You think maybe…"

Kim turned to look at the vehicle and nodded with agreement, "Dementor would be the type to be prepared." Kim then rushed towards the snow-mobile as she pulled out her Kimmunicator.

Yori slowly stepped beside Ron, "What is Possible-san doing?"

"She's checking to see if we can hack the GPS system and use it to get back to Dementor's lair." Ron quickly responded as she rubbed his temple.

"You both understand each other's thoughts," Yori commented as she leaned closer, "Just as I understand your current state. What happened?"

"Nothing happened, just some weird… vibe." Ron responded with a look of uncertainty on his face.

"I got the location," Kim exclaimed as she turned to face them. The sight of both Yori and Ron close together gave her a slight sour taste in her mouth as she moved closer. "We can use the snowmobiles to get to it."

"Sounds good," Ron replied. "Now can we please get out of the snow, I feel like I'm inside a giant slushy."

The three hoped onto the remaining snowmobiles and darted forward towards the location given by the GPS locater. A few minutes later they began to approach what looked like a cavernous entrance.

"That seems to be it," Kim exclaimed as she pointed towards the entrance after she stopped. "Anyone have any ideas on how to get in?"

Yori simply gave her a slight shake of her head as she turned towards Ron, who had a thoughtful smirk on his face. He then grabbed his bags shoulder strap and gave them a knowing smile.

"I have an idea, but I'm going to need both of you to strip."

The comment was quickly responded with confused yet angry stares as he slightly turned a bit pale.

"It's not what it sounds like. I just need both of you to take off your jackets; it's a part of my plan."

* * *

The man simply stared at the screen as he watched for the signs of his arch foe. He knew that the men he had dispatched were no match for his nemesis, but he had to follow evil villain procedure. Still they would provide him with the time necessary to complete his latest project, so he couldn't say that they were a complete waste.

"AHA! You think me a fool KIM POSSIBLE!" Dementor exclaimed as he spotted the girl and her useless sidekick on the screen. He then turned to his remaining men, "Go out and GET THEM!"

The henchmen quickly moved towards the entrance to meet against the two teenagers, who stopped as they realized that they were being surrounded.

"Okay, I was not expecting this big of a turnout from his henchmen." Ron muttered as he grabbed the chain around his neck and transformed it to a bo-staff, "Hey Kim, you want to make a wager? I bet you dinner that I can take out more henchmen than you."

Kim smiled as she nodded and muttered in a hush tone a quick, "You're on."

They attacked, each going to opposite sides as they struck against their attackers, and put on a show for the stout villain above. Both attacked with swift precision that took the henchmen by surprise. Dementor could only watch as not only Kim Possible but her sidekick, whose name never seemed to stay with him, continued to decimate his men.

"What are you doin you fools! Use your weapons against them!" He screamed as stretched himself over the guardrail to scream.

The henchmen still on their feet quickly followed orders as they pulled their electrified rods out and began to try and attack their tormentors in unison… with little success.

"…and that one makes fourteen," Ron muttered as he struck his opponent across the face with a spinning back-hand. He then turned back for just a second… "Hey Ki-oooof!"

That tiny moment of distraction was enough for another henchman to come around the corner, bum rush him, and pin him to the wall with his electrified weapon.

The old Ron at this point would panic and would either try to run, or submit to defeat… but not the new Ron. He quickly lowered his center of gravity as he pushed up on the man's elbows. The resulting motioned forced the henchman to hold his weapon over his head as he stood in an awkward position.

Ron now had an open shot to the man's midsection and the henchman knew it. Seeing the predicament he was in, he tried to attack as he swung down with little chance of him being able to counter-attack effectively. Ron simply got inside the swing as he delivered a straight blow to the man's sternum. Ron felt the blow verberate through his opponent's body, and felt a sense of pride… until the force of an explosion knocked the wind out of him.

Ron felt himself propelled forward, the ground coming at him in an unprecedented speed, and felt the impact against the floor with the ensuing onslaught of shrapnel from the debris.

Everything seemed to stop. It was if time stood still and nothing, except for the sound of the machines in the background, even bothered to be heard.

"ROOOOOOON!" was the single cry as the girl took off her helmet to reveal black hair, and quickly began to dart forward towards her friend.

That's when everyone snapped out of their stupor and began to surround her.

"You're not going anywhere girly."

"Whoa, she's not Kim Possible."

"Come quietly and you won't get hurt."

"WAIT!" Dementor screamed as he watched some of his men surround Yori and a few others begin to head towards the stirring Ron. "If she is not Kim Possible… where is SHE!"

* * *

_Fifteen minutes earlier…_

"We'll dress Yori as you, and that way you can sneak in and destroy the machine with little interference." Ron muttered as he pulled out a red wig from his costume kit.

"Wait, WHAT!" Kim exclaimed as she gave Ron a confused yet angry look. "Why? We can easily distract Dementor with the REAL me. Why can't we send Yori to destroy the device?"

"I am honor bound to protect Ron while I am on my mission and would be a huge dishonor if I do not follow my mission in protecting Ron-kun." Yori replied with a slight bow.

Kim was about to make an argument when Ron shook his head no, "Trust me Kim, you're not going to win that one. She's very big on the whole honor thing."

Kim frowned but relented, "Okay, but make sure to stay safe."

_Present…_

The loud explosion forced Kim to pause as she turned towards the direction of which it originated from. Part of her wanted to head out and make sure her friend was okay, another part of her told her he would be okay. She shook her head as she continued to rig the device to explode.

"You better be okay you goof." She muttered under her breath but stopped as she felt a huge wave of concern. She suddenly smashed her fist through the panel and watched as it sparked immediately. The screen quickly flashed a larger red "Warning" and as it began to overload.

"That was easier than I thought." Kim muttered to herself as machine began to make a loud screeching sound.

Kim slightly smirked as she fired her grappling hook and propelled herself towards the entrance where Ron and Yori were located with a single thought in her head, "Ron."

* * *

The ringing in his ears: constant.

His vision: shaky.

The feeling in his body: pain.

Ron could feel the cold concrete against the palm of his hand as he pushed up to lift his upper body. His eyes barely able to keep up with the motion of his head as he turned to watch the sky began to turn pitch black. The clouds swirled in anger as a dark figure walked toward him and stood before him.

"What the…" Ron began to mutter as a cloaked figure began to speak.

"Admit it Stoppable… you have failed." The dark figure slowly stepped forward as it pulled out a blade. The sword was jet black with a serrated edge that became more pronounced with each passing moment. "You will fall just like your sensei,"

Ron turned to where the dark figure gazed to see Master Sensei on the ground bloody.

"Like your school,"

Behind Master Sensei Yamanouchi lay in ruins as it burned in the background.

"Like your friends."

Ron could see the limp bodies of Yori and Kim behind the dark figure. His eyes widened as he tried to understand what he was seeing.

Yet deep inside Ron could feel rage well up inside him, the pressure finally forcing him to scream as he tried to lunge forward. The dark figure swung the blade down…

* * *

Yori parried the attack and followed with a kick to the man's midsection before ducking and delivering a swift blow to the attackers jaw.

Dementor's henchmen seemed to have grown bolder from the realization that she was not Kim Possible, and they continued to assault her with nonstop determination. But Yori's determination was an unstoppable force that allowed her to quickly attack with swift and deadly precision.

She quickly delivered a snap kick to the man shin as she raked knuckles across the man's nose ridge and followed it with a knife strike to the throat.

The henchman simply fell to the ground in agony.

Yori prepared for the next attacker only to find them hovering around her from a bit of fear. Not from her but from the person behind them.

All Yori could do was leap forward as she screamed, "RON!"

* * *

The pain brought him back to reality as felt something pierce his skin.

Ron could feel the jolt of electricity from the rod that struck his chest and fell to the side as he tried to avoid the following blow.

His mind became clear with the pain as he quickly summoned the Lotus blade to his hand and transformed it to a naginata. Ron watched as a few henchmen got ready and began to surround him.

The images of his friends and school destroyed only seemed to fuel him as an eerie purple glow surrounded his body. Some of the henchmen paused from the surprise while the others simply disregarded the glow and lunged forward to attack.

"You made a mistake." Ron muttered under his breath as he took a step forward and sent a few henchmen flying with a swing of his weapon. That simple act of sending men twice his size flying with a simple swing of a weapon that could transform was enough to discourage the rest of the henchmen as they all dropped their weapons and headed for the exit.

"Get back over here and fight you cowards." Dementor screamed as he watched his men run away.

Ron turned to Dementor and started to head his way when is eyes widened a bid as he finally felt his injuries and the purple aura surrounding him quickly died down.

"Whoa…" Ron muttered as he struggled to stay on his feet, "Feeling a bit woozy."

Yori quickly approached him as Alarms began to blare all over the hideout.

"My Vulcanator 2000… and it took me long to get it together. It's not fair…" Dementor whined under his breath as he made his way towards his nearest exit.

Ron steadied his feet by sheer determination, "We need to get out."

"I agree." Kim called out as she landed in front of them. "We need to move quickly. I'm not sure when this whole place is going to blow."

"What happened to our plan?"

"No time, we have to go." Kim replied as she started to make a run for it. Ron and Yori both followed.

* * *

"Can you explain exactly what happened?"

The trio waited in a carrier on their way back home. Kim now directing their usual debriefing…

"I'm telling you that I'm not sure," Ron replied as he leaned his head back. "Besides I'm fine."

"You're fine… seriously? You're going to tell me that you're fine. Ron you almost got yourself killed." Kim exclaimed as she crossed her arms, "You're lucky you weren't hurt more."

Yori then stepped in with the first aid kit in hand.

"Ron-kun if you would please…"

Ron rolled his eyes a bit as he removed his shirt to reveal a large gash on his chest as well as small shrapnel embedded in his back.

"You call that fine Ron?" Kim asked, the sharpness of her words now gone. She then turned to look at Yori as she proceeded to pull out the antiseptic. "You think you can bandage him long enough to take him to the hospital to get him stitched up?"

"No," was Yori's simple reply which caught Kim by surprise, "I can do much better than that."

Ron cringed a little at the sight of the thread and needle, "Maybe I can get a bit of local anesthesia for that?"

"Uh huh." Rufus replied as well.

Yori and Kim simply gave them a pointed look which made Ron and Rufus laugh nervously, "Aha… okay, that's a no."

Ron laid back as Yori went to work on stitching him back up, with the help of a certain naked mole rat, when the images of the dark figure returned, "Yori, is there another Lotus Blade, but made of black steel?"

"No. I do not believe there is such a blade." Yori replied without stopping, "Why do you ask Ron-kun."

Ron wasn't sure if he should say anything. The images could have been stressed induced, or even from the trauma of the explosion. He decided to tell them anyway.

"Well… after the explosion as I was getting back up… I saw something."

"What did you see? And don't say 'hot angels' cause there is no such thing. " Kim joked as she watched Yori work.

"No. I saw… I saw both of you… hurt… very badly, possibly even… even dead."

Yori stopped and turned to look at Ron with a worried look on her face. Kim did the same.

"Not only you guys… but Master Sensei and Yamanouchi were gone as well." Ron started to fidget a bit as he felt uncomfortable under gaze of both girls. "Look, maybe I was mistaken…"

"Is that why you were asking about a dark blade?" Yori asked as she started to stitch him up again.

"Yeah, there was a dark hooded figure holding a blade made of black steel." Ron replied with a far off gaze as he recalled the images, "He was telling me how I had failed."

"Ron…" Kim started to say but stopped unsure of what to say.

"That would explain your aura." Yori muttered as she finished the last stitch. "Please lean forward Ron-kun."

Ron leaned forward to show his back. "What do you mean?"

"Your aura was a darker color than usual. Like… like a huge anger was overtaking your heart." Yori explained as she began pulling pieces of shrapnel from his back. "You must be very careful allowing such emotions to overcome you."

"Okay…" Ron replied, unsure about what she was saying. "So what do you think I saw?"

"Maybe it was due to the trauma of the explosion." Kim stated as she tried to make Ron feel better. Yori on the other hand took a deep breath before responding.

"Those attuned with the Mystical Monkey Power usually experience visions foretelling the future. Taka Sensei is exceptional well versed in this ability." Yori explained. The memory of Ron facing his second sensei as he approached him for the first time suddenly came to mind.

"_Good… when I was told about the Chosen One's visit, I grew curious…" The man's curiosity could clearly be heard as he stood, robe covering him from head to toe, old tattered and worse for wear. "Fate had you following a different path, yet… you are here before me."_

_Ron stood still for a minute before he answered._

"_What do you mean? What different path?"_

_The old man snorted at the question, "A path that is no longer available to you… but fret not, this new path will lead you further than you have ever realized." Ron stood there a bit shocked by the comment as the man brushed the water's surface of a stone bowl. "This path will be harder, and you will feel great joy… and sorrow."_

"Yeah, I remember Taka Sensei saying something cryptic about my future…" Ron replied as he tried to make sense of what he had just realized. "So does that mean my vision was of the future?"

Yori wiped his back down with antiseptic and started to bandage the wounds. "I believe that to be the case."

"So you're saying that what Ron had was a vision of the future... then that means we're going to die?" Kim asked with a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"And Yamanouchi is destroyed… unless we prevent it." Yori replied. "I am sorry but I must speak with Master Sensei about this matter. I entrust that you can finish helping Ron-kun."

Kim nodded as she let Yori walk away, noticing the look of concern on her face.

"It must be serious if she has that look on her face." Kim replied as she finished bandaging Ron's wounds. She noticed the look on Ron's face, "What's wrong?"

Ron paused as he thought back at the words spoken to him, _you failed…_

"Nothing really, just trying to ignore the burning sensation on my back," Ron lied with a smile.

Kim smirked as she gave him a playful slap on the back. "You'll survive monkey boy."

Ron jerked up by the act, with a small naked mole rat shouting "Hey!"

"So… how is Yori going to talk to Master Sensei from here? Does he have a phone?" Kim asked a bit curious.

"By meditation," Ron responded as he gingerly put on his shirt over his wounds. "Master Sensei has that whole astral projection thing going on."

"Like when he wrote the message on the wall with mystery gravy?" Kim asked with a slight shudder.

"Yup." Ron responded as he leaned back and began to relax. The adrenaline high was finally wearing off and he could feel himself slowly falling asleep. He decided to ask Kim before he drifted off. "Kim I have a favor to ask…"

* * *

"And you said yes?"

Monique shook her head as she leaned back and gave Kim an incredulous look.

"Why wouldn't I? He deserves to have a day off every once in a while, even if it is to go out on a date with Yori." Kim replied, a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice at the end of her comment. Both girls were at Club Banana discussing the curious case of one Ron Stoppable.

"Girl, you don't sound happy about that." Monique stated as she folded more shirts.

"I'm happy for him, besides he does this type of thing for me and Eric all the time. I think it's only fair for me to return the favor."

"Still, if I were in your place… well, let's just say that the dynamics of all the relationships would be different right now." Monique muttered as she placed the last item on the showcase. "So where is Ron taking Yori to?"

"Dinner and a movie."

"So… Brick Slayer 3 and Bueno Nacho?" Monique laughed, "Doesn't that boy have a better opening date?" She suddenly paused when she spotted the look on Kim's face. "What?"

"Actually, Ron was thinking of watching a comedy movie and then a nice dinner at Chez Couteaqx. Something about Yori appreciating quote unquote, American comedy," Kim replied as she finished folding the shirts for the display.

"You seem to be taking this pretty well." Monique added as she gave Kim a questioning look, "So what gives?"

Kim gave her a broad smile, "Nothing Monique, I'm happy for him… really."

"This is nice." Yori pointed out as she looked around with a bit of awe over the restaurant decorum.

"Yeah, I figured with this being our first date and all…" Ron started to reply before being stopped by Yori.

"Date?"

"Yeah… is this not a date?" Ron asked with a bit of concern in his voice.

Yori just seemed lost in thought before smiling, "Oh a DATE, the act of courtship between a two people for a romantic purpose."

Yori paused as she finally realized what Ron had meant.

"Yes, of course." Ron replied, a bit confused over her reaction. Still they both grew quiet over the realization that they were on a date with one another.

"Ron-kun…" "Yori…" Both called out at the same time. Ron smiled and motioned for Yori to speak.

"Ron-kun, I would not be truthful if I did not admit that I contain romantic feelings for you."

Ron gave her a genuine smile, "I feel the same for you."

Yori initially returned the smile before forcing it away. "But I must think of my mission first. I am honor bound." Yori added as she lowered her face.

"I… I understand. It's just that we've been dancing around the subject for a while now. I just felt it was time we addressed it." Ron stated as he reached out and grabbed Yori's hand. "I think it's time we were honest with each other, but especially honest with ourselves. Don't you want that?"

"Ron-ku- Ron, I… I do." Yori looked into his eyes, "I wish it were that easy, but we both know that there is more at stake than our romantic feeling for each other." She then started to pull her hand away when she felt his thumb caress the back of her hand.

"I know that better than most. I understand the consequences a relationship can bring, but I'm tired of always having to hold back my happiness for the betterment of everyone else around me." Ron peered into Yori's eyes with a look of determination. "I want to take this chance. I want to be happy… with you."

"Master Sensei…"

"Master Sensei will understand. I think he's known about our feelings for one another for a while now." Ron rebutted with a knowing smile. "Do you really hold honor above your own happiness?"

Yori nodded, "It is who I am. It is what I've always been?"

Ron brought her hand to his lips as he kissed it and softened his gaze, "Then let yourself feel happiness. Honor will be constant, but happiness is fleeting."

"That sounds like Sensei."

"So what do you say, give us a chance?" Ron asked hopeful.

Yori smiled, "Yes."

* * *

"No."

"Just like that you're going to say no?"

"Yes, just like that. Eric I told you I can't go out in case I get a call."

Kim grabbed a glass of water and sat back down on the table of her parent's kitchen to work on her homework.

"Come on Kim, your friend Wade can call you if something happens and I'm pretty sure Ron can cover for you if you can't make it in time." Eric pushed as he hovered over her. "Besides, these tickets were not easy to come by."

"I appreciate the thought, but I didn't tell you to get them." Kim replied as she was getting slightly annoyed over the conversation. "I also told Ron that I would cover today because he had a date."

"So? It doesn't mean you can't go out and have some fun with me." Eric pressured. "Are you just going to leave me here hanging?"

"Eric… I can't. I have other priorities. You understand don't you?" Kim asked hopefully.

"Yeah… yeah, I understand. You just don't want to make time for me. I get it."

"Eric!" Kim cried out in surprise with his tone.

"No, it's okay. I can see myself out." Eric muttered as he turned and walked away.

"Aurgh!" Kim groaned as she sat back down. She couldn't believe what had just happened.

_Beep Beep Ba-Beep._

"What." Kim responded a bit pointed.

"Um… sorry?" Wade responded a bit taken back by her response.

"Sorry. I just had a fight with Eric. I'm not in a good mood." Kim explained as she frowned a bit.

"Ooookay… anyways, there's a call. Apparently there's a break in at the Museum of Ancient Artifacts and Antiquities."

"Any idea who it could be?" Kim asked as she stood up and headed to her room to change quickly.

"No, although I can shoulder a guess," Wade added as he showed a picture of an older gentleman. "Professor Wright just came back from and archeological expedition to an obscure area in Asia to uncover clues of an ancient sect of mandarin monks."

"Monkey Fist?" Kim asked as she finished and came back in view of her kimmunicator.

"It would be safe to assume."

"Any idea on what he could be after?"

Wade shook his head, "No, unfortunately the museum hasn't finished inventorying everything from the expedition. I can get you a list of what has been cataloged but it might not help much."

Kim grabbed her keys and headed to her car. "I hate to do this, but call Ron. Tell him it's Monkey Fist."

* * *

Monkey Fist walked slowly but with a purpose. He knew where his intended target was and he was not going to waste time with unnecessary distractions. He paused as he looked upon the ancient scroll sitting on top of the table.

He spotted the clipboard and grabbed it without thought. Smiling as he perused through the document and noticed the scroll being left out. He tossed the clipboard aside as he grabbed the scroll.

"HOLD IT!"

"Well if it isn't Kim Possible. You must pardon me but I simply don't have the time… or the patience." He muttered as he turned to meet the cheerleader.

"Well unfortunately you're going to have to make time." Kim responded as she got into her stance.

Monkey Fist took a split second to look at his surroundings, "No Ron Stoppable to help you Miss Possible?"

"He's on his way."

"A pity really… I would have loved to put him in his place." Monkey Fist replied with disgust in his voice. "Monkeys ATTACK!"

Kim parried the first attack from the monkey but was surprised as the rest of them just tossed smoke pellets at her feet. She tried to rush through to smoke towards where Monkey Fist had been only to find him escaping thought the hole in the roof.

"Another time perhaps, Miss Possible, for now I have other important matters to attend to." Monkey Fist muttered with a smile as the helicopter started to fly away.

"KIM!" cried a voice in a distance causing Kim to quickly turn back.

"Ron, it's too late. He got away."

Ron stopped right next to Kim, with Yori in tow, and peered through the hole in the roof trying to catch a glimpse. "Did he take anything?"

"A scroll… Don't know what it could be about though."

"I recognize these artifacts." Yori muttered as she got closer to the table. "These belonged to a sect of monks placed in charge of protecting the location of the Yono."

"You don't think…" Ron started.

"It's possible. He did mention it the last time we met." Kim replied as she dialed Wade. "Wade, need you to see if you can trace what was on the scroll that Monkey Fist took."

"On it." Wade replied as he typed furiously on his keyboard. "Oh oh."

"What is it?"

"There is no mention of any scroll being cataloged by the museum from the expedition. There simply is no information about it. Sorry." Wade apologized as he frowned a bit.

"So what now?" Ron asked as he leaned against the wall.

"We head home. We regroup in the morning." Kim answered as she started to walk away. "Try to sleep the rest of this horrible day away."

* * *

Ron leaned right next to Kim's locker and quickly noticed her mood. Something was going on and it was not pretty. "Everything okay Kim?"

"Peachy…" Was her surly reply as she opened her locker to reveal Wade, "Any leads on what Monkey Fist took?"

"Unfortunately no," Wade replied. He quickly typed something and brought an image on the screen. "But something else happened last night. Look at this."

The screen appeared to have nothing wrong with it until the end. Kim and Ron both looked at each other before giving Wade a curious look.

"What were we supposed to see?" Ron asked.

"If you look closely you'll se-"

"A ninja monkey slipping in and take an item from behind the glass." Came a reply behind them.

"Yori, what took you so long?" Ron asked as he gave her a light hug.

Kim gave him an incredulous look, "Ron… the PDA."

"Sorry."

"I do not know what "PDA" is but I do know you still have much training to do Ron." Yori commented with a smile.

This took Kim by surprise. "Wait. You called him Ron. Not Ron-san, not Ron-kun, just Ron. Am I missing something here?"

"Can we not discuss this here?" Ron asked in a hushed voice, "Let's get back to the video."

Kim rolled her eyes a bit before relenting, "Fine. How did you see the monkey?"

Yori gave her a small smile. "The reflection from the glass panel shows a small figure dressed in black with tail."

"That's right. When I zoomed in I managed to get that from the reflection, and I used special software to sharpen and enhance the image to get this."

The image cleared and clearly showed a ninja monkey.

"What did he take? Was it an ancient Asian artifact?" Kim asked with a bit of frustration in her voice.

"That's the thing. The museum reported only an obsidian necklace from an Ancient Central American Civilization exhibit missing." Wade reported.

"Weird… Monkey Fist doesn't go for any artifact not tied to monkeys." Ron muttered to himself out loud.

Kim nodded in agreement. "Anything special about the necklace Wade?"

"Not that I could find. Then again there isn't a lot of information over the necklace on the net."

"What could Monkey Fist be planning?" Yori asked with a bit if urgency in her voice.

"I don't know… but it's not looking good." Kim replied with a bit of apprehension.


End file.
